Liew Clan Village had just over two hundred residents, and with three to four dozen able-bodied men drafted for labor, the once lively little mountain village suddenly fell quiet. Clara found the change a bit unsettling.
Even the factory lost six workers overnight.
When Carpenter Liew showed up, looking anxious, Clara smacked her forehead. She had been so preoccupied watching Lester scramble to prepare for survival that she hadn't even considered the factory situation for the past three days.
"What now? With so many gone, there's no way we'll make the delivery due mid-October! That's less than a month away—come on, you have to figure something out!"
The past two days, Carpenter Liew had been busy securing a substitute laborer for his son. Their family was required to provide one person, but they hadn't made the cut for the county's six-taels-a-head quota. In the end, they had to pay the steeper price—ten taels—for a replacement.
Thankfully, he'd gone with Frank Liew and Old Walter to the county early, ahead of the rush. Those who arrived later that afternoon couldn't find replacements even at double the price.
Frankly, if the price had really risen to twenty taels a head, Carpenter Liew wouldn't have minded running the route himself.
After all, twenty taels wasn't easy to earn. And though this grain transport duty was harsh, it was still better than being drafted as a soldier. If luck was on your side and you ended up under a decent officer, the chances of making it back alive weren't bad.
But now that the conscripts had already departed, there was no point mulling it over.
What truly stressed him now was the short-handed factory. He was so worried, he had a blister on the corner of his mouth. Every bite of food stretched the sore painfully.
Clara poured him and herself a bowl of cooled boiled water. "We'll just hire more."
Even her quarry team was down a man—Quinn Liew, the village chief's eldest grandson.
Every family had its own troubles. The village chief's wife, Quinn's grandmother, had fallen seriously ill. All the money from their autumn harvest sales went toward her medical bills.
As the village chief, he had gotten wind of the labor draft early and tried to secure two replacement slots, but only got one. The other slot remained.
Quinn had volunteered.
His family simply couldn't afford the ten taels needed to hire someone else.
Thankfully, he was tall and solidly built, with a steady temperament. The village chief had pulled some strings; Quinn would probably get some protection.
Carpenter Liew had it worse—he lost five workers in one go. Good thing Maggie didn't need to serve due to being female. At least he had one skilled worker left on the team; otherwise, he'd be fuming far more than he already was.
"Where can we even find people now?" Carpenter Liew groaned. "All the men in Jadebriar Province are off hauling grain, and before winter hits we've still got wheat to sow. How can a bunch of elderly and children manage?"
His sudden grimace betrayed another jolt of pain as he aggravated his blister again.
Clara urged him to drink more water and then said, "If we can't find men, we'll hire women. Making waterwheels isn't hard labor. Women can handle it too."
As for her own shortfall in quarry hands, she'd take up the pick herself.
The work was too taxing for most women, and the quarry team was all male. They had to head into the mountains, so it would be awkward for female workers. Thankfully, her grinding and polishing crew was still intact, which meant the full production line could stay operational.
"Let's give it a try?" Carpenter Liew didn't argue. As long as the goods were delivered on time, he didn't care who did the work.
So, the two of them borrowed a gong and went around the village clanging it, shouting for workers. No restrictions—just a willingness to work hard.
Madam Zhou was the first to step out. "Can I do it?"
Clara eagerly pulled her over. "Of course you can, Sister Zhou! You're so capable—this woodworking's nothing!"
Madam Zhou laughed, eyes crinkling. "Oh, you flatter me! I'm only good at embroidery. I've never touched carpentry before."
"No worries at all," Carpenter Liew added quickly. "We'll prep the wood for you. Just follow the others and piece things together—it's that simple!"
At that moment, he felt again how brilliant Clara's assembly-line method was. Each person only had to learn one task and could quickly get up to speed.
So now, even with a sudden change of personnel, there was no panic. A couple of days of training would be enough.
"Shall we give it a shot?" Madam Zhou turned to the other hesitant women nearby with a shy smile.
Their homes were busy, sure—but if they wanted to earn money, they had to find the time.
Everyone had envied the factory workers before—especially Maggie, who brought home over three silver coins last month. Her in-laws were so thrilled they told everyone they'd found a treasure of a daughter-in-law.
Now that the opportunity was right there, and with Clara and Carpenter Liew encouraging them, why not give it a try? It couldn't hurt.
Doreen had mentioned before—every ten days they'd get a meat dish, and when Clara returned from town, she sometimes brought back big bones to make soup.
Even just for the food, it was worth it.
Seeing more women interested, Clara immediately fetched Doreen and Maggie to help rally support. With their encouragement, the five vacant woodworker spots were filled in no time.
The original male workers were reassigned to handle the first stage of production, while the women took over assembly, varnishing, and other steps. The production line was back on track.
With the October deadline no longer in jeopardy, Clara could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
That said, her own workload increased. After gathering the last batch of stone for the remaining orders, she had to answer Old Walter's urging and pick up her hoe to begin tilling again.
Winter wheat needed planting. Even if she didn't want to manage it, the fields couldn't be abandoned. Seeds had to go in—at least then there'd be a chance at a harvest.
After the labor draft, the Liew family's grain money was nearly gone.
The remaining stores couldn't be touched unless it was a last resort. No matter how hard the work, the winter wheat had to be planted. There was no room to stop.
If another surprise tax or labor draft came, and they couldn't buy a replacement, someone would be pulled from the fields again.
Farmers who rely on the weather couldn't afford disruptions. The only path forward was to care for their land and work it diligently.
While Clara was busy planting wheat with the villagers, the conscripted grain carriers had already left Jadebriar Province.
Three thousand laborers were split into three groups along two routes to escort the grain supply.
Jadebriar Province was selected for two main reasons.
First, it had a bountiful harvest this year and ample grain reserves.
Second, its proximity to the frontier meant the grain could reach the border swiftly with minimal loss.
Call it fate.
Once the men from Liew Clan Village reached Willowridge County, they were split up.
The moment Lester saw that happening, he knew things weren't looking good. In a rush, he managed to slip a few copper coins to the official overseeing their team.
But maybe the bribe was too small—or maybe it was just insulting with five copper coins—because he ended up assigned to one of the fiercest, most ruthless officers.
During the first roll call, the moment their eyes met, Lester had a sinking feeling in his gut.
He could already tell—this journey was going to be rough.
(End of chapter)
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