NCCnovel Chapter 266 Work Assignment
Chapter 266 Work Assignment
Huo Jianjie was lying on the bed, listening to the noisy sounds outside, feeling extremely anxious. His wound had not yet fully healed, and any slight movement would involve the wound, causing the piercing pain to make him break out in cold sweats.
If he goes to work in his current state, it will undoubtedly add insult to injury, but if he doesn't go, he will definitely be whipped.
"Master, I will help you walk."
Deng Lihua's face was full of worry. She quickly tidied herself up, helped her man put on his clothes and shoes, carefully helped him up, and walked out the door.
Huo Zihao was behind and when he saw his parents had already left, he quickly put on his shoes and trotted after them.
Murong Ling'er and Murong Chen were the last to go out.
The mother and son were not in a hurry. They enjoyed a hot breakfast leisurely before walking towards the work place at a leisurely pace.
"Mom, do I have to go to work too?" Murong Chen blinked his big eyes, his young face full of confusion.
He is only five years old. He has grown a little taller because he eats well and sleeps well, but he is still a small person. It would be difficult for him to do heavy physical work.
"Let's go check out the situation first and act accordingly."
Murong Ling'er held Murong Chen's hand, her expression calm, but she was secretly wondering in her heart, what kind of work would be waiting for these fugitives on this island?
The mother and son talked quietly all the way and unknowingly arrived at the beach where they were going to work.
At this time, the newly arrived convicts had gathered here one after another, standing densely in front of the chief steward He Renchuan.
He Renchuan was tall and strong, standing there like a small hill. His broad shoulders seemed to be able to carry the whole world. His arms were as thick as tree trunks, and his muscles bulged high, showing endless strength.
His face was like a rock carved by time, with hard lines. Under his thick eyebrows, his eyes were as sharp as an eagle, as if he could see through everyone's mind, making people afraid. He held a thick and long cowhide whip tightly in his hand, and the tip of the whip swayed slightly, making a rustling sound, as if silently warning everyone.
"That's right. No one was late for work the day before. It seems that you all listened to what I said." He Renchuan's voice was low and loud, echoing on the beach like a huge bell.
He had originally prepared to deal with a few troublemakers today. In the past, whenever new convicts arrived on the island, there would always be a few ignorant guys causing trouble. But unexpectedly, this group of convicts looked particularly honest and well-behaved.
"Okay, since everyone is sensible, I won't make things difficult for you. Now, just listen to my arrangements!" He Renchuan glanced at everyone and continued.
Donghai Island is surrounded by the sea on all sides. Its unique geographical location makes the marine resources here extremely rich.
The pearls on the seabed are dazzling, all kinds of seafood are delicious and tender, and the salt industry on the island supports the economic lifeline of the entire Donghai Island.
Therefore, the convicts who were exiled here naturally had their own jobs.
The elderly, the weak, women and children were arranged to work in salt making. Although this job was relatively easy, it also required a certain amount of patience and skills. The strong men were required to go to the sea to collect pearls.
Pearl diving is a dangerous and hard job. Not only does it require soaking in the cold sea water for a long time, but there is also the risk of being swept away by undercurrents and attacked by sea creatures.
This arrangement is applied to all newly arrived convicts without exception. As for other more complex tasks on the island that require special skills, there are specialized personnel to take charge of them.
However, for Huo Jianjie, whose wounds had not yet healed, and Chu Lingfeng, who was poisoned, going into the sea to collect pearls was simply a fantasy. Their physical condition was simply unable to withstand such high-intensity and dangerous work.
After assigning the tasks, He Renchuan did not intend to leave immediately. Instead, he paced back and forth in the crowd, looking at everyone with sharp eyes.
Huo Jianjie and Chu Lingfeng, who had not yet had time to leave, were caught by his gaze.
"What? Do you two have any objections?" He Renchuan stopped, his brows twisted into the shape of the Chinese character "川", and his eyes revealed dissatisfaction and doubt.
Huo Jianjie's heart tightened. He quickly stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said with a humble smile, "Manager He, you misunderstood! My injuries haven't fully healed yet, so I really can't go out to sea. Could you please be kind and make an exception and let me work on the salt production? I promise I will do my best and will never hesitate."
After saying this, Huo Jianjie pointed at Chu Lingfeng beside him and continued, "And my nephew, he's always been weak and has suffered a lot along the way. Now he's powerless. If we let him go into the sea, not only will he suffer, but it will also delay everyone's progress. What do you think?"
He Renchuan's face darkened as he listened. He stared at Huo Jianjie and Chu Lingfeng, and after a moment's silence, he said coldly, "Donghai Island isn't a charity. Every bite of food you eat and every sip of water you drink here is earned through your own hard work. Pearl diving and salt making have different levels of difficulty and risk, so the rewards are naturally different."
"If you, like me, disobey orders and insist on making salt, you can only take one-third of what others take. And if you don't behave well in the future, you won't even get that one-third! Do you understand?"
He Renchuan glanced coldly at Huo Jianjie and Chu Lingfeng. He had no intention of making things difficult for the two fugitives. On this East China Sea island, rules were rules, and without rules, there would be no order.
If the measures taken against these fugitives are not strong enough, the order on the island will be disrupted. He has been the manager of this island for many years and has seen all kinds of troublemakers. His heart has long been as hard as iron.
Huo Jianjie and Chu Lingfeng looked at each other, with a hint of helplessness in their eyes. They knew very well that in this strange and cruel environment, resistance was meaningless and they could only compromise.
So, the two nodded without hesitation, indicating that they accepted He Renchuan's arrangement.
Soon, they were taken to the salt-making area.
As soon as I stepped into this area, everyone's eyes were focused on me.
When Deng Lihua, Huo Shuixian and Huo Zihao saw Huo Jianjie coming, their hearts finally settled down.
They had been worried that Huo Jianjie would be forced to go into the sea, which would undoubtedly be a disaster for him as he was seriously injured.
Chu Yinyin and the Wang family also secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Although Chu Chu hoped that Chu Lingfeng could be in the same group with them, she never dared to speak easily when she saw the strict manager and the unfamiliar and cold environment around her.
"Manager He, these two people..." Mo Yiqi, the manager in charge of the salt industry, hurried forward.
Mo Yiqi is thin and always has a gloomy expression on his face. Years of working in the salt-producing area have made his skin dark and rough. His eyes are shrewd and calculating. On this island, he is in charge of all matters big and small in salt production and knows every link like the back of his hand.
"These two can't go to the sea, you can take care of the arrangements."
He Renchuan looked impatient. He said this in a hurry and turned around to leave. He still had many things to deal with and had no time to stay here any longer.