Delivery Team

After finalizing the delivery plan, the next step was recruiting personnel for the delivery team.

Jing Yi usually preferred to hire people he knew. In these times, everyone had their own difficulties, and it was challenging for everyone to make a living. In such situations, it was common to prioritize family and friends when it came to business opportunities.

After careful consideration, he decided on two groups of people. One group would naturally be from the village, and the other group, he planned to check if there were any children in Xiao An and Xiao Shu’s private school who wanted to work. This could also be considered an investment.

So, early the next morning, he called Jing An and the other two to discuss.

“Do you have any students in your private school who come from families facing financial difficulties and are interested in working?” Jing Yi inquired.

The three of them exchanged glances, discussed for a while, and finally, Jing An spoke up, “Indeed, there are about four families with financial difficulties. Two are from my and Dongshan’s class, and the other two are in Dongjiang’s class.”

Dongshan added, “But we’re not sure if they want to work.”

Indeed, most students in Da Yuan Dynasty were more focused on their studies, and on hot days, venturing out and potentially meeting acquaintances or classmates could be embarrassing.

“Brother Yi, I think two students in our class will definitely be interested. I heard they often work in the fields during the summer break and sometimes even do short-term labor with their fathers,” Dongjiang said, expressing his admiration for these two impoverished students, named Shi Shun and Shi Sunlei. They were not only academically accomplished but also had good character.

“In our class, Chen Jiawen is sure to be interested. I heard that during the break, he often works in the fields and sometimes takes on short-term jobs with his father,” Dongjiang added. Chen Jiawen’s family had faced financial difficulties since his father fell ill at the beginning of the year, and his family had been struggling. Chen Jiawen was planning to find a job after finishing his studies.

“Right! Jiawen is reliable. Big brother, you can use him! There’s another one named Zheng Qianduo. There’s no need to ask him; although his family is struggling, he’s not keen on studying and progressing. In the private school, he prefers to hang out with those young masters and fawn over them.”

“Good, that’s settled. The important task of recruiting talent is now in your hands, you three,” Jing Yi said, patting Dongshan’s shoulder.

“We guarantee to complete the task!”

With that, the three children set off energetically.

Watching from the side, Jing’s father couldn’t help but marvel. If only his words were as effective as Jing Yi’s!

After discussing official matters, Jing Yi, Chuxia, Jing’s father, and Jing’s mother chatted casually before getting busy with their respective tasks.

He quickly escorted Chu Xia to the Ningxia Pavilion and then returned to the shop to pick up Jing’s father. Together, they hurried back to the village to hire workers. Unfortunately, the household servants were currently occupied in various positions, and since each had their own responsibilities, they couldn’t easily leave their posts.

“Is the village head at home?” The gate of the village head’s house was half-closed, and Jing Yi didn’t enter without permission.

In the village, gates were generally open unless there was no one at home. A half-closed gate was a common indication that the family was busy with chores and not ready to entertain guests, or there might be no one at home currently.

“Xiao Rong and Xiao Yi, come in with me.” The village head approached from the west, having just returned from the fields. Seeing the Jing family, he was quite pleased. It had been more than ten days since he last saw them, and they were now very busy people.

“Is Grandmother Shu at home?” the village head continued. “She went to work at the soap factory. I just returned from the fields. Your grandfather and grandmother went to your second uncle’s house for a couple of days, so I left the gate half-closed as I was busy in the fields.”

It had been a while, and the village head was in a talkative mood, sharing various updates.

“Uncle Sheng, how are our fields doing?” Jing’s father inquired.

“Don’t worry; even though it’s hot, it hasn’t been dry. The seedlings may wilt during the day, but watering them more in the evening and early morning is enough,” the village head reassured. As long as this scorching heat didn’t harm the crops, that was what mattered. The focus was on surviving the heatwave.

“I saw Aunt Shu at the soap factory a few days ago, managing the teams for demolding and repairing molds. She’s doing a great job,” Jing Yi added to the conversation.

“Doing a great job? Don’t say that in front of her; her chin might reach the sky.” Although the village head teased his wife, the warm smile in his eyes couldn’t deceive anyone.

“By the way, do you have any urgent matters for returning this time?” Sitting in the hall, the village head took out three large palm-leaf fans, one for each person, and they chatted while fanning themselves.

“Hehe, I’ve come up with a new business again and need some hands to help in town. I’ve come to trouble Uncle Sheng again.”

With the village head around, Jing Yi was relieved when it came to hiring workers.

If this were the modern world, Uncle Sheng could be compared to a company’s human resources director, and that position would come with a high salary. In ancient times, it was different. If Jing Yi were to pay Uncle Sheng a monthly wage for these matters, not only would Uncle Sheng disagree, but the spit from the villagers would also drown the village head’s family.

However, during festivals or special occasions, presenting generous gifts was still acceptable. With the two families having close relations, no one could say anything.

“What kind of trouble is this? With your ‘trouble,’ our village can lead a better life! Look at this year. Besides the villagers who went to work at the soap factory, there are two families planning to rebuild their houses after the autumn harvest! Even those who don’t work at the soap factory can sell firewood they collect on the mountain to you. Which other village has such a good deal?” Uncle Sheng spoke appreciatively.

The more the village head spoke, the more excited he became, and the palm-leaf fans were swaying vigorously. It could be said that now, in the village, as long as people worked diligently, every household could earn money – all thanks to Jing Yi’s blessings.

Jing’s father was deeply moved by this news. This village had nurtured him, and he naturally wished for everything to go well. Even Jing Yi, who usually appeared indifferent, never missed an opportunity to contribute to the greater good. Hearing these positive developments, he felt a sense of satisfaction.

After the village head finished expressing his excitement, Jing Yi quickly seized the opportunity to explain his plan for hiring workers.

This time, the main target for employment was divided into two groups. The first group consisted of young men aged fourteen to twenty, diligent and nimble, responsible for delivering goods in town alongside the three young men from the private school. They would also roam the streets and sell products.

He plans to recruit another group of mature and stable men above the age of twenty. They will be responsible for being itinerant vendors in the villages around the town, selling ice cream.

To boost everyone’s motivation, Jing Yi doesn’t intend to offer a fixed salary. Instead, there will be a commission for each ice cream sold, ranging from half a wen to one and a half wen, depending on the type – sweet popsicle earns half a wen, fruity ones earn one wen, and those with a milk flavor can earn up to one and a half wen.

“My ice cream business thrives mainly in the summer, so we’ll run it from May to the end of August, about three to four months. However, if it’s done well, it can be quite profitable,” Jing Yi explains.

“That’s for sure,” the village head replies, quickly realizing it’s a lucrative business.

“Please help me carefully select the people, check their character. This business isn’t difficult; honesty and simplicity are more important. Don’t bring people with too many tricky thoughts,” Jing Yi instructs, emphasizing character as the baseline for hiring every time.

“Oh, by the way, Uncle Sheng, where’s Xiao Cheng? Why haven’t I seen him?” Jing Yi wonders.

Xiao Cheng, known for his stability and reserve, has been sent by the village head’s family to a private school in Xiaoxin Village since the beginning of last year.

“He’s running errands for his mother,” the village head responds.

“I heard Xiao Cheng is doing well in his studies. Uncle Sheng, what’s the plan? Are you thinking of having him take the imperial examination?” Jing’s father interjects.

“He’s doing okay, but the level here is insufficient for the town. He doesn’t have such intentions himself; he just wants to spend three years learning to read and understand etiquette,” the village head explains.

“In that case, Uncle Sheng, let me take Xiao Cheng with me. My shop is urgently in need of people!” Jing Yi proposes, eyeing Xiao Cheng, who has both literacy and manners.

“Haha, if you fancy him, take him away. The two of us are already at odds at home!” the village head replies with a hearty laugh.

After a round of discussions, the personnel for the delivery team and the itinerant vendor team are mostly confirmed. For the delivery team, they have selected five young boys from the village and the three from the town’s private school. It’s certainly enough for the town.

As for the itinerant vendor team, they have currently selected three individuals. They plan to try selling in the outskirts of the nearby town and villages first, and if successful, they will expand the recruitment. Once the candidates are confirmed, explaining the situation to each family results in no refusals. Nowadays, everyone knows that working with Jing Yi means there’s plenty to gain.