Chapter 2：Lin Mu (1/2)
”Lin Mu, stop lazing around we still have a lot of trees left to harvest in today's quota, we barely filled our quota yesterday and I don't want to anger the supervisor again, he will definitely cut our wages this time.”
Hearing the voice calling him, a youthful-looking boy of about 16 years of age and having short hair turns around towards the man calling him. Seeing the man's tense look the boy gulps and answers;
”I'm not lazing around uncle Yuan Tu, I'm just trying to be careful not to damage the spirit apples while plucking them from the trees.”
The man named Yuan Tu, hearing the boy's reply, has a tint of annoyance in his eyes as he thinks the boy is merely giving excuses for his slow pace in harvesting the spirit apples from the trees.
Remembering yesterday's scolding that he got from the supervisor for being the group leader of the slowest harvesting group out of a hundred this week, he knew that if his group did not exceed their quota today, they will definitely never receive their bonus wages this week.
”Hasten your pace and stop giving excuses or you will be the one to bear the penalty we'll receive for incomplete work”
Not giving the boy another chance to reply, the man walks away to another tree to work. The boy hearing Yuan Tu's threat, quickens his pace plucking the spirit apples from the tree placing them in his basket, and then when the basket is full carefully transferring them to the wheelbarrow which will then be sent to the main collection cart.
Spirit apples were the main produce of the Northern town, which were rather lucrative and were sent to Wu Lim city, which was the main city. Wu Lim city had four satellite towns, each named according to their locations and each having their own specialty.
Spirit apples were very expensive for common peasants with each apple costing a gold coin, which only the people from the city could afford to buy. While the peasants that were harvesting them only received four silver coins every day, it would take them nearly a whole month's wages to buy just one, thus they had to be careful not to damage, bruise or scratch the apples as this would result in the spirit apples slowly losing their spirit qi making them lose value.
Two hours later, Lin Mu having done four trips to the cart emptying his basket along with the others, the wheelbarrow is nearly full when Yuan Tu walks towards the cart and empties his basket filling the wheelbarrow.
Looking at the filled wheelbarrow Yuan Tu takes a breath of relief as the day's quota is finally completed two hours before sundown, giving them plenty of time to harvest more spirit apples today. Thinking they may, at last, receive their bonus wages this week, a slight smile appears on Yuan Tu's face and he looks towards Lin Mu…
”Looks like you finally picked up the pace, now that we have finished today's quota you can send the wheelbarrow to the main collecting cart, the rest of us will continue harvesting.”
Looking at the heavy-looking wheelbarrow Lin Mu furrows his brows knowing that it will be difficult for him to move it all the way to the collecting cart and will take him at least 45 minutes to come back during which the rest of the 5 people of the group will be the only ones receiving the higher bonus pay, not leaving him much time to earn his.
”Uncle Yuan Tu this wheelbarrow is very heavy for me, can't you bring it to the main cart”
Yuan Tu, having the greed of higher wages in his mind, definitely does not want to waste his time in sending the wheelbarrow back.
”Can't you just do as I asked Lin Mu, if you keep on shirking from hard work you'll never get strong, in the time you spent talking you could have very well been on your way to the collecting cart”
Looking at the annoyed look in Yuan Tu's eyes, Lin Mu knows it would be useless to argue any further and he would just have to rush back as fast as possible so that he could work more. Having thought of that, Lin Mu starts pushing the wheelbarrow towards the location of the collecting cart.
5 minutes later Lin Mu starts getting tired and is about to slow down his pace when a stone comes under the wheelbarrow making it tilt. Lin Mu unable to handle the heavy wheelbarrow loses control and with a loud noise, the wheelbarrow falls.
With a horrified expression on his face, Lin Mu is left standing, while the other workers hearing the voice gather and are shocked at the sight of a fallen wheelbarrow with all the spirit apples in it scattered around in the dirt with many scratched and damaged.