what does the phrase relate to?

[KLPNO]

Hello everyone
I'd like to ask about an unclear phrase in the following passage.

But since he was no farmer, he rented most of the ground to neighbors who raised crops and kept four-foots --milking varieties that were made into stew meat and bone meal once they grew old. The neighbors also kept scramblers for their sweet meat, and they used teams of mockmen to work the land and its animals, lending every waking moment a busy, industrious quality.

Does the phrase "lend every waking moment a busy, industrious quality" mean "work very hard and carefully every waking moment"?

And does the phrase relates to mockmen or to neighbors?

 

[Anglika]

Hello everyone
I'd like to ask about an unclear phrase in the following passage.

But since he was no farmer, he rented most of the ground to neighbors who raised crops and kept four-foots --milking varieties that were made into stew meat and bone meal once they grew old. The neighbors also kept scramblers for their sweet meat, and they used teams of mockmen to work the land and its animals, lending every waking moment a busy, industrious quality.

Does the phrase "lend every waking moment a busy, industrious quality" mean "work very hard and carefully every waking moment"?

And does the phrase relates to mockmen or to neighbors?

It means that every moment of the day there was something going on.

It is referring to time and occupations in general, not to the people specifically.

 

[susiedqq]

waking moments can be idle, relaxing, full of work, busy, etc. etc.

In this case, their activity and work ethic on the farm made their every waking moment full of quality, industrious work.