After layers of screening, Bai Sheng found Lu Dahai, Grandpa Goudan, and Grandpa Guisun’er.
These three were advanced in age. To learn literacy and numeracy, they would have to be reborn in their next lives.
Therefore, Bai Sheng could brazenly fool them under their noses.
Lu Dahai was made the nursery manager and overseer of the sapling nursery, earning 800 wen per month. Grandpa Goudan and Grandpa Guisun’er were appointed as nursery workers, each earning 600 wen per month.
Lu Dahai was greatly astonished to learn he was being so heavily relied upon. The relationship between his first and second branches of the family was indeed gradually easing. He couldn't help but wipe away a tear.
From now on, if his wife, Madam Xu, continued to cause trouble, he would truly divorce her, and his word would be final.
For so many years, Madam Xu had followed his mother in making trouble, and it was also largely due to his own weakness and incompetence as the head of the household. As the patriarch, he should have suppressed Madam Xu's wicked ways.
If he had stood his ground earlier, things would not have escalated to this unmanageable point.
Lu Dahai’s face crinkled into a smile as he bashfully said to Bai Sheng, "Niece-in-law, I'm already over forty, my memory is not good, and I can't read or count beyond forty-nine. If I'm to be the manager, will I hold back your work?"
Bai Sheng was afraid Lu Dahai would suddenly develop ambitions in his later years and insist on learning to read and count, so she quickly shook her head. "Ah ha, no, Uncle. I specifically want people who can't count. I don't need people who can count. Look at Grandpa Goudan and Grandpa Guisun’er, they also don't count very well."
"Ah? Then... then why?" Lu Dahai’s mouth fell open in surprise.
Grandpa Goudan and Grandpa Guisun’er on the side also opened their mouths in unison.
This was the first time in their lives they had heard of such a thing.
Generally, employers looked for literate and numerate individuals when hiring. How was it that with the niece-in-law (the eldest madam), she specifically sought those who were illiterate and couldn't count? This... was quite unusual.
Bai Sheng's eyes darted, and she immediately fabricated a reason on the spot. She was quite skilled at dealing with elderly people with slow reactions.
"Uncle, to be frank, I'm only setting up this nursery to provide saplings for afforestation for my family and Prince Yu's side, not to make money. Therefore, there's no need to count the number of saplings. We're not selling saplings, so why count?
Look, this is a full ten mu of land. If it's filled with saplings, just counting them would take a long time. Wouldn't it be better to nurture a few more saplings in that time? What do you say?"
Lu Dahai and the other two grandfathers nodded repeatedly, expressing their strong agreement.
From now on, when nurturing saplings, they must not count them accurately, otherwise the niece-in-law (the eldest madam) would mistakenly think they weren't working and were only busy counting.
Ah, this job is truly excellent! No counting, no brainwork!
They never expected that being illiterate and unable to count would become their specialty. It was said that they had stood out from dozens of people.
Grandpa Goudan had tried to learn counting his whole life, but could only manage up to nineteen at most.
Grandpa Guisun’er had also studied his whole life, and his situation was slightly better than Grandpa Goudan's, being able to count up to twenty.
Therefore, counting was the most taxing thing for them. They had never calculated accounts in their lives.
They disliked such brain-burning tasks.
Of course, Bai Sheng had inquired about their illustrious backgrounds beforehand, which was why she gave them important positions.
The three nursery workers were all excited. In their old age, they could still have a second spring in their careers, earn money for the family, become pillars of the household, and hold their heads high in front of their sons.
However, there were downsides to employing the elderly.
For instance, nurturing saplings required a lot of watering. The three of them couldn't carry as much water as younger adults. Bai Sheng then asked Zhao Dazhuang to find someone to build a reservoir next to the nursery. The irrigation team responsible for watering would fill the reservoir daily.
Lu Dahai respectfully said to Bai Sheng, "Niece-in-law, we'll go to work now. Rest assured, I will lead Grandpa Goudan and Grandpa Guisun’er to manage the nursery well. Although we old folks can't count, we will strive to nurture more saplings. We are good at physical labor."
"Alright!" Bai Sheng smiled wickedly.
Bai Sheng did not have high expectations for their tree-nurturing speed. The saplings in her spatial dimension grew rapidly. With this nursery, she could use them freely.
To prevent Prince Yu, Lord He, and Lord Ji from becoming suspicious later, Bai Sheng even took them to visit the nursery.
Lu Dahai and the others worked quickly, nurturing over a mu in a few days.
Prince Yu looked at the neatly fenced bamboo enclosure surrounding the nursery, with a roof built over it, and was very satisfied. With this nursery, the supply of saplings for afforestation should be sufficient.
"Little dark face, thank you," Prince Yu said, his expression rarely serious.
This was the first time Bai Sheng had received such a solemn and earnest thank you from Prince Yu, and she felt a bit unaccustomed to it. She chuckled dryly and waved her hand. "Your Highness Prince Yu need not be so polite. You, Lord He, and Lord Ji are personally overseeing the afforestation front line, turning deserts into oases, and doing a great deed for the people of Bianzhou that will benefit generations to come.
This spirit truly impresses this humble woman. Therefore, these saplings are merely my family's support for Your Highness Prince Yu's afforestation endeavors. If I earn a lot of money in the future, I will continue to support the three lords financially."
After plundering so many items from Empress Xiangyun's palace and Prince Donggong's palace, she would sell them and give the proceeds to Prince Yu for afforestation. As for the cash and silver, she would gradually invest it later, so Bai Sheng needed to pave the way for her future generous support.
Lord He couldn't help but praise, "If the people of my Bianzhou could all possess such broad vision and magnanimity as Miss Bai Sheng, then the prosperity of Bianzhou would be within reach!"
Bai Sheng chuckled. "Lord He flatters me. This humble woman is merely… contributing a little effort. Bianzhou is prosperous, and this humble woman will also benefit."
"Oh, little sister, don't be so modest," Ji Chenghe said with a smile. "Prince Yu and Lord He praise you, and you completely deserve it. I, Ji, only admire one woman in my life, and that is you, little sister. In the future, let's work together to make Bianzhou presentable!"
Upon hearing this, Bai Sheng immediately teased, "Brother, what about Sister Bai Jing? Do you admire her?"
Prince Yu and Lord He also looked at Ji Chenghe, with knowing smiles on their faces.
Ji Chenghe's throat suddenly choked, and he blushingly chided, "Little sister, you... you can't just say that. Bai Jing and I are still... we haven't even begun."
Prince Yu pouted. "If you haven't even begun, then hurry up and start. What kind of man acts so indecisive!"
Lord He immediately added fuel to the fire. "Yes, you need to hurry! Lord Ji is also not young, is he? When I was your age, I already had children old enough to run errands. My eldest son is now of marrying age."
Ji Chenghe sighed helplessly. "How can I hurry? Can Prince Yu and Lord He offer any advice?" The key was that Bai Jing currently had no mood for romance; she was working herself to the bone every day.
"This king never pursues women; women naturally come to me, so I have no experience," Prince Yu said, deliberately glancing at Bai Sheng.
Lord He spread his hands and also sighed, "My wife and I have a childhood betrothal, so I have even less experience."