CHAPTER 57: CHAPTER 57: HELP ARRIVES FOR THE WHEAT HARVEST

Gu Xiaoqing chuckled softly at her family.

"No worries, our principal has stepped in. That teacher wouldn’t dare do anything. Besides, who can bully your daughter?"

Gu Ruhai and Li Xuemei relaxed at the thought of Gu Xiaoqing’s bold and feisty nature.

This child is bold and confident, should be fine.

In the evening, as Gu Xiaoqing was doing homework at the table, Li Xuemei and Gu Ruhai were discussing.

"The wheat harvest is just a few days away. What should we do about the business? We need to harvest the wheat first at home. Should we pause the business for a couple of days to rest?"

Li Xuemei was sewing clothes, worriedly asking Gu Ruhai.

The household was caught between the wheat harvest and needing manpower for the business, unable to manage both.

One of them definitely had to be put aside.

But saying to pause the business, Li Xuemei was reluctant, considering that it brought in about ten bucks a day.

Pausing it means losing a day’s earnings.

The couple were determined to save money for building a big tiled house next year, so losing even one day meant being further from the goal.

Gu Ruhai also sighed.

If only his brothers were united, he could have asked the second and third brother for help. In families with many brothers, anyone with a need would ask their brothers for help. This way, the wheat harvest would’ve gone smoothly and would not disrupt their business.

But Gu Ruhai knew what kind of people his brothers were.

If he asked, he could help them, but expecting help from Gu Rushan was out of the question.

And as for Gu Ruhe, who only returned once a year, wishing for his help meant first running into him at all.

Alas!

Gu Ruhai didn’t say anything, just took a hard drag on his cigarette, brows furrowed.

Gu Xiaoqing, hearing this, laughed.

Her parents were being pretty dense.

While writing, she asked Li Xuemei, "Mom, how was the business today?"

Upon hearing this, Li Xuemei perked up instantly. What’s more delightful than counting money?

She opened her purse and counted, ending with twenty-one bucks and fifty cents.

After costs, they made twelve bucks.

Li Xuemei’s heart was content.

Especially today, Li Xuemei boldly took charge in selling, leaving Gu Xiaoying out of the game. Determined to prove she’s not worse than her daughter.

But thinking those twelve bucks would be gone was heart-wrenching.

The wheat harvest would take at least three to five days. While their land wasn’t that large, it wasn’t small either. Over five days, that means losing over sixty bucks.

The entire year’s harvest doesn’t yield that much money.

This really is troublesome.

Gu Xiaoqing looked at Li Xuemei and Gu Ruhai, chuckling happily.

Seeing Gu Xiaoqing’s sly look, Li Xuemei knew her daughter had an idea.

She immediately pulled Gu Xiaoqing’s ear, saying, "Spill it. Are you mocking your parents again? I knew you had a plan."

"Ow, ow, mom, it hurts, it hurts, let go and I’ll talk, okay?"

Gu Xiaoqing rubbed her ear, jumping and yelling in pain.

Li Xuemei laughed and scolded, "Stop pretending. I’m your mom; I won’t really hurt you. Now, spill the beans."

Gu Ruhai tilted his head, expectantly watching Gu Xiaoqing, trusting that this clever daughter had a good idea.

Gu Xiaoqing massaged her ear but stopped pretending. It hadn’t hurt that much; she was just bluffing.

"Dad, Mom, actually, why not calculate? If you pause the business to harvest yourself, how much would you lose? And if you pay someone to harvest, how much would it cost? You’ll find the answer yourselves."

Li Xuemei snapped her fingers and stood up.

"Right, if we hire someone to harvest, in our village, it’d cost eighty cents a day if you provide meals. If not, it’s a buck a day. Our land is twelve acres, and with three strong men, it’d be done in three days..."

Li Xuemei counted on her fingers.

Gu Xiaoqing offered the answer, "Nine bucks!"

Li Xuemei’s eyes lit up, "Right, nine bucks. We can earn over thirty bucks in three days. After deducting the nine bucks, we still gain over twenty bucks. It’s worth it."

Gu Ruhai hesitated, then said, "But won’t it be embarrassing if we don’t harvest our land ourselves and hire someone?"

Li Xuemei didn’t wait for Gu Xiaoqing to respond and glared at him, saying, "You always worry about this and that. Let them laugh. I’ve decided; we hire help for the wheat harvest and don’t stop the business. That’s thirty bucks! You may not care about that big tiled house, but I do.

We must show the villagers we can live well, that we’re not worse than others, able-bodied and not lazy. Why should we remain poor?"

Li Xuemei completely embraced Gu Xiaoqing’s suggestion.

Gu Hongrong, upon hearing, could only lower his head and agree.

Originally manipulated by Mr. and Mrs. Gu, he wasn’t particularly decisive and was now directed by the formidable Li Xuemei and Gu Xiaoqing too.

He sheepishly said, "Alright, fine, I’ll do what you say. It’s not that I don’t agree, just a bit embarrassed. Hehe, of course, I’ll listen to you."

Li Xuemei, Gu Xiaoqing, Gu Xiaoying, and Gu Xiaojie all laughed heartily.

The family was really amused by Gu Ruhai.

Gu Ruhai planned to ask around the village that night to see if any families had people willing to do some short-term work, knowing some were considering making some quick money now.

But as dusk fell, Li Qinghai, Li Weimin, and Li Weiqiang, along with Jianguo and Jianhui, arrived, startling Gu Ruhai and Li Xuemei.

They initially thought something happened at home.

Li Qinghai, smiling, said it was about the wheat harvest. Knowing Li Xuemei and Gu Ruhai’s business earned ten bucks a day, he discussed it with his sons and came with his family’s strong men.

Intending to help with Gu Ruhai’s wheat harvest.

Li Xuemei poured water for the family. Understanding her father’s intention, her eyes welled up. Her own father truly cared.

Knowing his daughter’s family had difficulties, he didn’t wait for them to ask; instead, her brothers came to help. That’s family.

Expecting nothing in return, just wanting to consider her well-being.

That’s truly rare.

Gu Xiaoqing felt overjoyed.

She had originally planned to visit Grandpa’s house on Sunday, intending to teach her aunts some culinary skills to help her uncles improve their business.

Now, with Grandpa and others here, it’s perfect for killing two birds with one stone.

That evening, the five members of the Li family slept on the floor.