Chapter 376: Business

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

This was originally the job of the commune’s accountant, but since the accounting position had always been vacant, and work points couldn’t go unrecorded, the task was given to the village chief. Now that Jiang Chuan had taken the role, it was natural to reclaim the authority to record work points back to the commune.

Jiang Chuan nodded in agreement and shared some of his thoughts, “Before, we calculated work points based on the time each villager worked in the fields. This meant that even those who were present but didn’t work hard would still earn points. It’s unfair to the diligent villagers and also demotivates everyone from farming. I have an idea: to calculate work points based on the land. For every ten square meters of land cultivated, one work point would be earned. The more one works, the more they earn, which should also reduce complaints.”

Tian Zao admired this idea, wondering why she hadn’t thought of it herself. Disputes over work points due to labor time were common among the villagers, with many feeling resentful when they perceived others as receiving more for less effort. Jiang Chuan’s idea could greatly reduce these arguments and seemed to be the fairest solution for the current stage.

Tian Zao was increasingly convinced that Jiang Chuan’s election as the commune’s accountant was due to his real capabilities, and she gradually let go of any misgivings she had about him.

After the two had finished discussing, Shen Mo raised another concern, “Captain, after careful consideration, I think that if the army is stationed in the deep mountains, food supply will be a challenging issue.”

Tian Zao was puzzled, “The army’s food should be supplied by the state, what does that have to do with our village?”

Shen Mo nodded and continued, “Our situation is the same as the neighboring village; we have grains like rice and wheat but no vegetables. After eating this meal and tasting Auntie Zhou’s meat sauce, I was thinking whether we could get some benefits for our comrades, buy some meat sauce from her to pair with steamed buns and wild vegetables.

Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan hesitated for a moment, Zhou Lan expressed her concern, “Of course, I’m willing if you want to buy meat sauce from me. Many villagers also make meat sauce that can be sold to the army. But with hundreds of people in the troop, the amount needed is not small. I’m afraid we don’t have enough ingredients.”

Shen Mo thought of this problem as well and added, “Auntie Zhou, rest assured, we will take care of all the ingredients. Meat will also be delivered to your home on schedule. Whatever you need, just ask. Once it’s ready, I will send someone to pick it up, or you can deliver it to the foot of the mountain if that works better, and we’ll include the delivery fee.”

Before Zhou Lan could agree, Jiang Xia had already spoken up, “Any kind of ingredient?”

Shen Mo nodded, “If it’s possible, it will be provided; if not, we will make it possible!”

Jiang Xia asked again, “Do you also have white sugar?”

Shen Mo was taken aback for a moment and blurted out, “Do you need white sugar for cooking too?”

Shen Mo, having been pampered at home, was like a young master who never had to lift a finger, so it was no surprise that he was clueless about cooking, not understanding why one would need to add sugar to savory dishes.

In modern times, it is common to find people who are unfamiliar with seasonings and cooking, but in an era where everyone struggles to afford food, and children learn to cook at home from a young age, it was somewhat inappropriate not to know that frying dishes often requires white sugar.

White sugar is one of the most common seasonings in cooking because adding it to dishes can enhance flavor, balance tastes, and also help with coloring, making the dish’s color look more appealing.

Realizing his question was a bit foolish, Shen Mo’s face turned embarrassingly red, a feeling that probably only Jiang Xia could truly understand.

In modern times, Jiang Xia, too, had been doted on by Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan. Not to mention preparing a meal like she did today, she had never even personally made her own breakfast.

With Zhou Lan around, the father and daughter of the Jiang family didn’t have to worry about anything. Whatever they wanted to eat, they just had to say it and Zhou Lan would buy, prepare, and serve it to them.

Jiang Xia’s knowledge of seasonings came purely from her love of eating. Without that, she probably would know even less than Shen Mo.

This led to Zhou Lan often saying that although Jiang Xia was almost a university student, she lacked common life skills and couldn’t even fend for herself with meals when alone at home..