Chapter 2103: Exchanging for a House? (Patreon)

Chapter 2103: Exchanging for a House?

Shu Yu nodded and said, "Of course, you can. Have you decided what you want to exchange for in just one night?"

The worker nodded and handed Shu Yu the paper he had drawn yesterday. It seemed like he had been holding onto it for quite some time, as it had become somewhat crumpled.

Shu Yu accepted the paper and gestured for him to enter the manor. Other members of the Lu family were curious and watched. They were preparing to leave since it was still early in the day, and they wanted to return to the city when the gates opened. People like Lu Sanzhu, Zhao Xi, and others had to go to work, so they couldn't delay for too long.

Shu Yu led the worker into the main hall and had Da Niu join them before asking, "Alright, please tell us what you'd like to exchange for."

The worker swallowed nervously and said, "I want to build a house here."

Shu Yu and Da Niu were both surprised. "Build a house?"

The worker nodded repeatedly. "Yes, County princess, you might not know about my family's situation. It's just my two younger sisters and me at home. Now that I work in the workshop, and my two sisters are still young, it's not safe for them to be alone at home. So, I want to build a small house here. It doesn't need to be big, just enough to provide shelter from the wind and rain. This way, I can have peace of mind."

As Shu Yu listened, she nodded. In reality, to exchange for a first prize, one only needed to state the desired item without explaining in such detail. However, it seemed that the worker felt his request was somewhat unconventional, combined with the fact that he hadn't even been with the workshop for half a year yet, making him a bit nervous. That's why he explained so thoroughly.

This worker's name was Zhao Gang. His father had passed away seven years ago, and his mother had remarried, leaving behind three children. Zhao Gang had taken on the heavy responsibility of supporting the family when he was just eleven years old. They lived a tough life, but his father had left behind a few mu of land, and they managed to get by with the rent they received from it.

However, two years ago, his younger sister fell seriously ill. Zhao Gang had no choice but to sell two mu of land to send her to the county town for treatment. Just the medical expenses alone had nearly drained all their savings.

It was during this trip to the county town that Zhao Gang happened to pass by the sunflower fields and learned about the Lu Family workshop. He had inquired about it and heard that it was owned by the County Princess, and that the treatment there was excellent.

Zhao Gang had been tempted, but two years ago, his eldest sister was only nine years old, and his younger sister was six. If he went to work so far away, they wouldn't be safe at home.

So, while he was tempted, he could only think about it in his heart.

Until six months ago, someone had set their sights on his eldest sister. They suggested that he sell her to be a child bride, which would reduce his burden, and he could even get married himself. Zhao Gang was eighteen years old, and with his family's dire financial situation, no one was willing to marry him.

However, Zhao Gang refused. He had inquired about the person's reputation and learned that he had tried to obtain child brides before but failed to provide for them, causing their deaths. Who could be so unlucky as to have all the child brides die? Zhao Gang suspected that there was something fishy going on, so he firmly refused.

But the other party didn't give up. If persuasion didn't work, they resorted to threats and even tried to tarnish his sister's reputation.

Zhao Gang, a poor young man with no money, power, or backing, was no match for these people.

Later, a friend suggested that he should try to join the Lu Family workshop since they were planning to hire workers. Now that Miss Lu was a county lord, no one dared to offend him easily. Moreover, Miss Lu protected those who worked under her. If he managed to get in, he would surely be able to protect his sister.