Belle nodded.“And we split the money we make.Say you sell some of your smoked salmon to the store.Katie Johnson, the woman who runs the store, will add equal parts to all four of us.But the same goes for when I bake strawberry shortcake or any of the other treats I’m constantly making.”
“Or the forage I find and the bread I bake daily,” Maggie added.
Sally nodded.“I haven’t made much money yet, but I’ve gotten a share of what they do, and we’ve all got smoked salmon for winter as well as the crops from my harvest.Once the pigs are big enough to butcher, we’ll have bacon and salt pork to sell, and those funds will be shared.If I get a more bountiful harvest from something than we can use, I sell it.”
“I see.So even if I never sell anything directly to the store, I’ll still make a share,” Agnes said.
Belle nodded.“We’re doing this together.We get paid the same amount.”
“I think that sounds wonderful.What if I want to grow a garden as well come spring?”
“Then you can keep it for yourself or we find a way to add it into what we’re doing.It may be easier for you to help Sally with her garden instead of starting one yourself, but if you want one, you should do it,” Maggie said.
“Same if I bake for the store?”Agnes asked.“Sometimes I get in the mood to bake.”
“Same thing.If it seems like you’re doing more than your share of the work, then we’ll work it out so you get to keep part of it.If Sally sells salmon to the store, that money is all hers because she’s doing so much.”
“Will you stop doing salmon if I start?”Agnes asked Sally.
“No, because I enjoy it.You’ll be able to set things up the way you want and sell extra if you choose to.I doubt there will be extra this year, but there should be next year.This year is mostly getting everything working for us.Building what needs to be built.Learning the steps to smoke salmon.Getting the piglets.”
Agnes nodded.“All right.As long as Jasper agrees, I’ll do goats and salmon.”She rubbed her hands together.“I’m getting excited to help!”
“Good,” Maggie said.“We love excitement.”She rubbed her belly, only having a short time left before her baby would be born.
“And Mrs.Johnson from the store doesn’t mind the extra work of dividing our profits?”Agnes asked.
“Not at all.You’ll love Katie,” Belle said.“She was the only woman in town before I arrived, and she taught me so much about how to survive here.We work as a team, and she understands that perfectly.”
“So, what do I do today?”Agnes asked.“I mean, I know I need to do our laundry, but thanks to you, I don’t even need to clean the cabin.”
“Why don’t you go with me to meet Katie today, and then I’ll show you where to find good forage, and we can work together on that.There are some good berries coming ripe, and they are great to can for pie fillings and make jam from.And then you come back here and do laundry.We’ll talk to our men about building a bigger smokehouse and an enclosure for all the goats.I know you have one, but I think you should get at least six more nannies and a billy.Don’t get too attached.We may end up using them for meat.”Maggie seemed to like the idea of having someone else who would forage on occasion.
Agnes wrinkled her nose.“I’m not particularly fond of goat meat.”
“Share with the rest of us,” Belle said.“If nothing else, the piglets will eat almost everything.You’ll want to save fish heads and guts for the piglets as well as any vegetables that are starting to rot.”
“I can do that!”Agnes couldn’t help but smile.She was going to enjoy working with her friends.
There came a whimper from the basket Belle had brought with her, and it startled Agnes.“I knew you had a baby, but I didn’t realize you brought him!”
Belle laughed.“Bertie is starting to make his presence known.”She pushed her chair away from the table and got to her feet.“I’m going to head home.He needs to be fed and put down for his nap.”
“He must be a really good baby to be quiet all that time.”
Belle nodded.“As long as he can hear my voice, he’s content.If I leave, he’s much less so.”
“Muchless!”Maggie agreed.“Oh, we didn’t talk about baby rotation.You’ll watch the babies every fourth weekday afternoon.It’s not the most fun you’ll have, but it makes it so we can do our jobs.”
“I like babies,” Agnes said.“I don’t mind at all.”
“Good.”Belle picked up the basket as she went to leave.“We’ll see you later when you drop off forage.”
“Wait.You need to take your harvest for the day,” Sally said, quickly taking the baskets to the table and making four even piles for them.“All right.Food is tucked all around the baby.He should be happy for a minute or two.”
They all laughed as Sally took her baskets, one partially full with her own share.“You two have fun.I’m going to go check the salmon nets.”
After Sally was gone, Agnes looked at Maggie.“Is she doing too much?”
