If it’s about hiring help, perhaps we should ask some women from the village to do the work. Several people from the village have already inquired if our family still needs any domestic help,” Mrs. Huang added from the side.

“Indeed, what your mother says is correct. Since we need to hire people anyway, bringing in a few village women is better than buying laborers from outside. For one, we know their background, and second, we can save a considerable amount of money. If they don't perform well, we can always dismiss them,” Er Niu chimed in.

Lin He thought her parents’ suggestion had some merit. Hiring a few reliable women from the village wasn't out of the question, and it could also offer a helping hand to the villagers. However, Lin He was concerned that people from the village might be harder to manage; if issues arose, dealing with acquaintances could be awkward.

Hearing Lin He’s reservations, Er Niu replied, “That shouldn't be an issue. When we hire them, we’ll make these terms clear: we are the employers, and we reserve the right to dismiss them whenever we see fit.”

Lin He felt their reasoning was sound after hearing Er Niu and Mrs. Huang. She then asked, “Then, Mother and Father, do you have any suitable candidates in mind? About four or five people should suffice. You two handle this matter. Once the people are found, just tell them to start working.”

Lin He paused, then added, “However, we still need to purchase pages (servants) for Older Brother and Xiao Bao. Xiao Bao starts school in a few days, so tomorrow I will take Xiao Bao and the others to the broker to buy people.”

The next day, Lin He, accompanied by Xiao Bao and Chen’er, went to the broker's house to purchase staff. The broker was already quite familiar with the Lin family. Even though it was a few children making the selection, he didn't slight them, bringing out quite a few candidates for them to choose from. In the end, Lin He and Xiao Bao settled on two promising boys, one fifteen and the other thirteen. Lin He felt both boys had clear, honest eyes and appeared reliable, so she bought them and took them home.

Meanwhile, Er Niu had already secured the village women in their courtyard. When Lin He and the others returned, they saw them gathered there. There were five women in total; Lin He recognized three of them, but the other two seemed to be from outside Lin He’s village, as she hadn't met them before.

Seeing Lin He and the group enter, Er Niu asked Lin He to greet them. The three Lin He knew were Aunt Xu, a woman from a village not too far away whom they called Aunt Hu, and the wife of Lin He’s father’s distant cousin’s husband—the sister-in-law of Tie Zhu’s wife—who was generally referred to as Tie Niu’s Wife. Tie Niu himself had visited Lin He’s home during the first lunar month, so Lin He recognized her. The remaining two were younger. One looked to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight; Er Niu introduced her as Tie Niu’s Wife’s younger sister-in-law, someone from her maternal family, known for being diligent and capable, and looking for work because she had many children at home. The other was from Shanglin Family Village, introduced by Aunt Xu.

Lin He observed that these two new women seemed meek and quiet, not speaking much. Moreover, anyone introduced by Aunt Xu was likely trustworthy, so she nodded to Er Niu, indicating her approval.

Er Niu then proceeded to relay the terms they had already discussed with Lin He. For those starting work, there would be no fixed holidays; they might not even have time off during peak farming seasons. However, he clarified that they wouldn't work all thirty days of the month, and if a day off was needed, they would be notified in advance. A typical day would involve slightly more than half a day's work. The monthly wage would temporarily be four hundred large coins, with potential increases based on future performance. He asked them to consider the offer and return the next day if willing to start, assuring them there was no pressure if they declined.

Upon hearing the terms, the women were inwardly pleased. Four hundred large coins a month was substantial for them—nearly five taels of silver annually, more than what many adult men earned, and vastly better than relying solely on farming. However, the possibility of no leave during the busy farming season gave them pause. At this time, despite the meager income from their crops, the farming season was held in extremely high regard.

Not long after, Tie Niu’s Wife was the first to voice her decision, confirming her willingness to work. Aunt Xu, of course, was settled, as Mrs. Huang had already negotiated the terms with her to her satisfaction. Following this, the others all expressed their agreement to take the job. Only at the very end did Aunt Xiang from Shanglin Family Village ask tentatively, “Er Niu, if there is an urgent family matter, can we request leave?”

“Yes, but the wages will be deducted for that day,” Er Niu answered.

This was generally acceptable to everyone. Why should they be paid if they didn't work? The women immediately agreed to start the next day. Lin He, having noticed their hesitation, understood their concerns. She deliberately brought up the farming season to ensure they were mentally prepared. Of course, she would try her best not to schedule work during the busiest farming days if possible, but the production schedule for the shipments was unpredictable, so stating the terms upfront was a necessary precaution.

Once everything was settled for the next day's start, everyone departed, except for Aunt Xu, who stayed behind to chat with Mrs. Huang. Lin He, unaware Aunt Xu would stay, asked, “Aunt Xu, Uncle Li is busy making wooden boxes at home every day. If you also come to work, who will cook for him?”

“My brother has come to help out. The two of them manage easily, and there is plenty of time left in the day to cook. I heard your mother discussing this yesterday, so I came right away. I’m free today and it gets dull staying home. Besides, I’ve used the soap you gave me, Er, and I really like it,” Aunt Xu said with a smile.

Aunt Xu stayed there chatting with Mrs. Huang and playing with the two little ones until nearly lunchtime before heading home. In the afternoon, Lin He and Er Niu agreed that from then on, all these new workers would report to Ziqing for management. If Ziqing was absent, Mrs. Zhou would be asked to supervise, and Mrs. Zhou’s monthly wage would be increased to five hundred large coins.

Furthermore, the workspace would be moved to the old house they previously occupied. The courtyard gate would be locked, utilizing both the front and back yards for storage. That location already housed the ointment workshop and the kitchen—it would be sufficient. These workers would be exclusively dedicated to making soap and laundry soap. Including Mrs. Zhou overseeing them and Ziqing present, there would be seven people in total—a larger group suitable for soap production.

In the afternoon, Lin He spoke privately with Ziqing. She noted that she was not very familiar with these new workers, and they had never done this type of work before. Moreover, the villagers were always curious about their family affairs. Lin He instructed Ziqing to keep a close watch on them. When mixing the soap ingredients, Ziqing and Ziyu should wake up early to complete the preparation beforehand, ensuring these new workers never learned the exact components of the soap formula. Only once the mixing was nearly complete should they be allowed to proceed with the rest of the process, making sure to manage the time strictly each day.

She also told Ziqing to monitor the seven individuals closely and report immediately if she detected any signs of disloyalty or ill will. This was precisely why Lin He designated Ziqing as the supervisor: the girl was steady, quick-witted, and after following her for so long, Lin He trusted her implicitly.