Chapter 2560 - 2534: Distributing Wages

Zhou Wulang is now very skilled at arithmetic; he can slowly use an abacus to calculate accounts clearly, but obviously, the laborers aren’t capable of doing it.

Even their foreman is not very competent at it.

Zhou Wulang clattered as he took strings of money from the basket and stuffed them into the foreman’s hands. The foreman, after a brief stupor, weakened and sat down directly on the ground.

They carefully calculated in their minds and found that they really couldn’t figure it out, so they hastily stuffed the copper coins back into Zhou Wulang’s arms, and with a bitter face, said, "Fifth Brother, Brother Zhou Wu, we can’t work it out. How about you distribute it to us one by one?"

The other laborers also stared at the copper coins, their eyes sparkling, nodding repeatedly.

Once given to the foreman, it would still need to be redistributed, compared to receiving it directly on the spot.

Besides, if Brother Zhou Wu and the foreman make a mistake, they’d feel awkward going back to him. It’s better to split it right now.

After all, they’re doing the same work as others; they should receive the same amount. Among them, there’s always someone clever enough to follow, ensuring they won’t lose out.

So everyone persuaded Zhou Wulang, "Brother Zhou Wu, distribute here now, we still have plenty of time, we’re not in a rush to go home."

Zhou Wulang: ... You’re not in a hurry to go home, but I am. He is now utterly confused about his own accounts. He knows he’s making money but can’t calculate how much he’s earning. He needs to go back and ask Lichong for help in calculating.

"Yes, yes, we just finished lunch, we’re not in a hurry."

Zhou Wulang felt suffocated; everyone was saying so. If he continued to decline, it would seem like he had an issue with the calculations.

Most importantly, these people were part of Manbao’s estate. Maintaining good relations would make it easier for him to find them for work in the future, so he needed to establish good relationships.

Zhou Wulang waved and said, "Alright, let’s do it one by one then, but since there are so many of you, can a few of you who are good at math step forward? Those who can count to a hundred."

In the end, aside from the three foremen, only two people stepped forward.

Well, it seems everyone’s educational level isn’t very high.

Others laughed awkwardly, "Brother Zhou Wu, actually we can count, it’s just that occasionally we make mistakes. But we know ten is above twenty, twenty is above thirty, thirty is above forty..."

"Alright, alright, I get it."

Zhou Wulang interrupted their chatter and called the five in front.

He poured a basket of copper coins onto the ground, and everyone’s eyes fell on the pile of money on the ground, sparkling.

Many grasses have grown on the field now; strings of copper coins piled on the grass wouldn’t get dirty.

Zhou Wulang sat cross-legged on the ground with them, took a string of money, and said, "It’s agreed that the daily wage is fifty wens. Up to now, you’ve worked five and a half days, but I’ll count it as six days for you."

He said, "That’s three hundred wens per person. This string is worth one thousand wens. We won’t count on saying much; if we count one by one, we might finish counting until tomorrow. So, those who have good relations form groups of three. From one string, split out one hundred wens. The remaining money is taken back. Divide it evenly among three, each gets a share."

This was a good idea; they weren’t very good at counting. In the countryside, dividing items used to be done like this, especially during division of family properties. One family got a bowl, then the next, and so on...

Everyone had no objections; Zhou Wulang asked them to count out one hundred wens. The counted money was separately strung together and put back into the basket.

After a while, immediately taking back three strings would be another person’s wages.

Six people sat down and started counting money, while Zhou Wulang let the onlookers keep an eye out, ensuring no one secretly pocketed any money.

The counted money, the small string of one hundred wens, was placed into the basket, while the large string of nine hundred wens was put separately.

After finishing counting one basket, Zhou Wulang poured another basket of money, putting the large strings in this basket. He counted, seventy strings, ensured no mistakes, then squatted aside and used his fingers to calculate, figuring how much money the three hundred people’s wages amounted to, how many strings need to be counted to make up the correct number?

Surely, counting so much money in this way wasn’t practicable?

Zhou Wulang calmly calculated: he knew each person’s wage was three hundred wens. He had counted it last night and confirmed it repeatedly with Lichong. So three hundred people would total...

Zhou Wulang hesitantly thought, ruining the count, and guessed, nine hundred wens?

Spitting out nonsense, not right, nine thousand?

Hmm, nine thousand is ninety strings...

Zhou Wulang felt he had calculated correctly, relieved, and then rolled up his sleeves to count the copper coins already piled on the ground. After counting twenty large strings, he immediately announced: "Enough, enough."

Upon hearing this, they immediately stopped working, and Zhou Wulang gleefully shouted: "Now, those with familiar relations, come forward in groups of three to collect wages. Those unfamiliar fall behind, collect your money individually."

Once they heard this, they began crowding, calling their cousins, clan brothers, and neighborhood mates to line up together.

Zhou Wulang took out the register, grasping a pen, questioned the first three: "Confirm all three collect together?"

Once they nodded, he crossed off their names, handed them a big string of money, and reminded them: "This is nine hundred wens, three hundred for each."

All three repeated the count once, memorized the sentence, then collected their money and smilingly stepped aside. Two surrounded the one holding the money closely, whispering: "We split it once back home."

"Rest assured, it won’t be any less."

When near the end, there were strings of lesser money.

For each person, Zhou Wulang handed them three small strings, "Each string is one hundred wens, three strings here."

After distributing to them, he gave money to the three foremen as well, clanking down three strings, then took out another string of money: "It’s agreed, you foremen get twenty extra wens each."

After all, managing people requires considerable effort.

"Six days means..." Zhou Wulang finger-counted again, five days is one hundred wens, adding one day makes it, "One hundred twenty wens, come, let me count for you."

After distributing the foremen’s money, there was still some left, not belonging to Zhou Wulang.

Zhou Wulang called over the six cooks to also issue their wages.

Their wages were less, only twenty-five wens a day. This was calculated by Zhou Lichong beforehand, each received one hundred fifty wens.

He counted the money for them, all the remaining funds were put back into the basket.

Everyone marveled at the leftover money, "Brother Zhou Wu, how did you bring so much money here?"

Because Princess Mingda had given him this much money, it was only delivered to his workshop yesterday.

Zhou Wulang said: "Later, I still have to take money to the quarry, alright, alright, those with money can go back. A few people come and help me transport the money to the quarry for others."

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately helped to put the money into baskets, loaded them onto the ox cart. The three foremen weren’t in a rush home, adhering to the principle of maintaining good relations with their charge brother, they willingly accompanied Zhou Wulang on this journey.