Chapter 87: Issuing Work Uniforms
Two hours passed, and the onlookers among the villagers gradually dispersed, but the construction crew continued to work diligently.
Seeing that trying to strike up a conversation yielded no results, Jian Xingxia brought out some peaches, chestnuts, cooled boiled water, and sodas from the house, dividing them between the two construction groups.
Although the construction crew politely declined as always, stating, “We have our own dining arrangements,” and refused to eat or drink anything she provided, Jian Xingxia kept a sharp eye out and remained observant.
Sure enough, she noticed two younger crew members quietly stealing several glances at the peaches, their eyes revealing a flicker of novelty and longing. Though it lasted for only an instant, Jian Xingxia caught it.
They really are real people!
And by the looks of it, they probably weren’t from Earth. Jian Xingxia felt a surge of excitement in her heart. But remembering that her ancient temporary workers might also face similar situations in the near future, she refrained from prying.
Well, do not do to others what you would not want done to yourself. When Liang Chengcheng had asked questions out of curiosity, she had been incredibly nervous too. It was best not to startle these workers from another realm.
While the road was being paved and the greenhouse was being built, Jian Xingxia turned the matter over in her mind. Today wasn’t a suitable day to hire newcomers, so she decided to recruit Dahei and Lin Sanniang again.
This time, the two arrived practically back-to-back, stepping into the yard together. Having worked together once before, they were no longer strangers to one another.
However, because Dahei viewed himself as a Kunlun slave, he inherently felt inferior due to his status as a “foreigner” and an “exotic slave.” Seeing Lin Sanniang converse with Jian Xingxia with such natural poise, he instinctively regarded Lin Sanniang as a supervisor. Even though he stood quite a bit taller than her, he proactively lowered his head when he met her.
Lin Sanniang was also gradually adjusting to Dahei. The Daliang Dynasty had no people with skin this dark, so she had to give herself a mental pep talk every time she looked at him.
The two reported to Jian Xingxia.
Jian Xingxia decisively assigned their tasks. “Dahei, you go clear the wasteland and farm. Sanniang, you stay with me to pick fruits and vegetables, and we’ll cook later.”
Dahei didn’t move.
Jian Xingxia asked, “?” What was wrong?
Dahei couldn’t speak, but his clear, black-and-white eyes looked a little aggrieved. Jian Xingxia didn’t catch his meaning.
Lin Sanniang explained in a low voice from the side, “Miss, Dahei wants you to look. He wore his shoes properly.”
Jian Xingxia looked down—
Ha! He actually did!
On Dahei’s pitch-black feet, he was currently wearing that exact pair of size 52 massive black cloth shoes from last time. Since everything was black, Jian Xingxia hadn’t noticed at first glance. Furthermore, she didn’t have the habit of constantly scrutinizing what other people were wearing. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have taken her several days to finally remember to buy clothes and shoes for the temporary workers.
Jian Xingxia quickly offered some praise. “Not bad, you know to wear shoes now.”
Only then did Dahei cheer up. Shouldering his hoe, he prepared to head to the fields.
Speaking of which, Jian Xingxia hurriedly called him to a halt, turned back into the house, and brought out two sets of clothes.
What she gave Dahei was a white, sleeveless tank top and a pair of cheap, dark blue swim trunks. What she gave Lin Sanniang was a white long-sleeved T-shirt, a light blue long-sleeved button-up shirt, a pair of black wide-leg trousers, and an apron.
When Dahei’s dark hands rested against the white T-shirt, the contrast was truly striking.
Now it was Dahei’s turn to look bewildered. “?”
Lin Sanniang also looked toward Jian Xingxia. However, she had already guessed the young mistress’s intentions. But she would only speak up if the young mistress prompted her; otherwise, she would strictly observe her duty as a hired hand and keep her mouth shut.
Jian Xingxia said, “These are your work uniforms. From now on, when you come to work at the estate, it’s best if you wear these uniforms.” Saying this, she showed them how to wear the items.
“Dahei, your original clothing was just sleeveless hemp cloth tied with a hemp rope at the waist, so I picked these two items based on your frame. Try them on to see if they fit.”
The sleeveless tank top was the largest size available. Thanks to advanced modern industry, one could purchase a fitting tank top even for such an extraordinary physique. There was actually something even more fitting than a tank top—basketball jerseys. But basketball jerseys were mostly brightly colored, and Jian Xingxia felt she needed to take it step by step to let the temporary workers adapt slowly.
However, Dahei didn’t seem to have any trouble adapting at all. He had seen plenty of excellent things at his new master’s place, and now that he saw such soft and comfortable clothing, he wanted to change right on the spot.
Jian Xingxia quickly stopped him. “Go change in the bathroom in a bit!”
As for the swim trunks, they were just large shorts that went down to the knees. They covered slightly more ground than Dahei’s original hemp sack, making them quite suitable for him. The trunks weren’t expensive, costing just a dozen or so yuan a pair. The largest size could fit someone up to 250 catties, so Dahei’s build was no problem at all.
Cradling the clothes, Dahei was overjoyed.
Jian Xingxia handed the bar of old laundry soap she used previously to Dahei. “Go to the bathroom, draw water from the vat, and take a bath. Use the soap to scrub every single inch of your body clean.”
“Then change into the clothes.”
Dahei nodded readily. Since coming to the estate, he had already bathed a few times—there was a well in the courtyard, as well as that miraculous iron pipe that produced water with a single flick. Every time his master frowned, she would send him to the courtyard to rinse off. This was the very first time she had rewarded him with scented soap to use. It was also the first time he was permitted to enter the latrine—no, it should be called the bathroom-cum-latrine.
Thoroughly delighted, Dahei ducked into the bathroom. He didn’t know how to shut the door, so Jian Xingxia demonstrated once before Dahei used his massive fingers to twist the tiny lock, closing the bathroom door.
Over on her side, Lin Sanniang also understood. “Miss Xiaxia, I must change into these clothes as well, correct?”
Jian Xingxia nodded. She had been worried that Lin Sanniang might find it difficult to accept. First, Lin Sanniang was a woman, so she would naturally have more reservations about changing clothes elsewhere. Second, Lin Sanniang was a law-abiding citizen; no matter how poor or bitter her life was, the clothes on her body were always clean and intact. Furthermore, she had even sewn her own New Chinese Style work clothes.
Jian Xingxia felt a little self-conscious. “There are more people on the estate now, and where you all come from… is hard for me to explain. It’s best if we dress according to our customs here, and the same goes for how we speak and conduct matters.”
Lin Sanniang nodded. Though she felt a brief moment of hesitation, she readily agreed in front of Jian Xingxia.
Jian Xingxia offered a suggestion: “The clothes you made yourself already look a bit like the styles on our side. If you aren’t used to it, you can just change your top and keep your trousers, or vice versa—change your trousers and keep your own top.”
Lin Sanniang felt happy inside. “That is wonderful. Thank you, Miss.”
Jian Xingxia thought it over and led Lin Sanniang into the small parlor. There was a storage room on both the left and right sides of the parlor. Jian Xingxia had Lin Sanniang change her clothes inside one of the storage rooms.
“Tidy up this room later, and you can use it to rest.”
Thinking of this, Jian Xingxia also wanted to set up a couple of sheds outside to make it convenient for the temporary workers to rest. Now that she could hire two people a day, if a newcomer gave her a high score, she could hire up to four people. With more people, she couldn’t afford to arrange things as casually as before. It was best to have a fixed resting place. After all, improving the compensation and treatment of the estate staff was also written into the responsibilities of the estate owner.
Very quickly, Lin Sanniang finished changing her clothes and stepped out.
