Just take your time to read all the dialogs, check also encyclopedia where you can read again about any NPC again or read the short description for each quest, all the info is there, just read before start running to nowhere. Good luck!
Yeah but wth. I have a hoe, I payed him a while ago and even am carrying 48 extra coins. He is on the farm and I see the unions, I click to hoe them and it says that I have to "Find the owner and agree to help him", which is something I did a while ago with Gilbert. The only prompt with Gilbert are "Where are the communal farms?" and "I don't have more questions at the moment." I am serious, I have everything and I'm sure I did everything. Gilberrrttt, why can't I get what I paid for. ;-;