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Chen Feng felt secretly delighted, the swallow feces was indeed a fertilizer and ripener like no other. Next time, she’d dilute it a bit more to avoid suspicion.
She happily sliced a portion and stir-fried it with pork. The aroma was so enticing that not only did Dabao and Lu wipe the plate clean with their steamed buns, but Chen Feng herself wished she could stir-fry another plate immediately.
Seeing the remaining half basin, Chen Ming said, “Give this to your grandmother and uncle. Let them taste it.”
Chen Feng shook her head, “Dad, it’s not that I’m unwilling, but this is so fragrant that even we don’t know why. If they enjoy it and ask for more, but the second and third batches aren’t as fragrant, what then? Let’s give them the second batch. If it’s just as flavorful, the third batch will surely be too. If the flavor is weaker, it won’t be as extraordinary.”
She felt that if they didn’t continue to use the swallow feces, the flavor would surely become weaker.
Chen Ming thought it over. Since this summer, the house had suddenly been filled with a faint fragrance, the water tasted sweeter, and the dishes were more flavorful. Even the garlic sprouts were growing faster and more flavorful than before…
Suddenly, his face turned pale, and he regretted it deeply. He said, “A’Feng, Dad thinks this courtyard is a blessed place, and we shouldn’t move elsewhere…”
Then, he explained his doubts.
Chen Feng couldn’t tell him that it was because of the agarwood. She quickly smiled and said, “Dad, don’t worry. Let’s not sell these two courtyards for now. If you still feel this place is good in the future, we can move back. However, I think the oddities in our family now might not necessarily be related to this courtyard, but to the people. When someone is blessed, even the heavens protect them. Maybe when we move to the new home, the blessings will follow us there.”
Chen Ming nodded after hearing this. He also admitted that if he didn’t feel comfortable in the new courtyard, he would be willing to return and preserve this blessing for the Chen family.
In the blink of an eye, as December approached, Chen Ming’s new courtyard was nearly completed. They invited many people to eat at the new courtyard on the second day of the lunar calendar.
To distinguish them, Chen Ming’s family’s new home was named Luyuan, while Chen Feng’s family’s new home was named Fengyuan. It was just the names of the two siblings, both auspicious and pleasant-sounding.
On the day of the completion ceremony, Chen Feng was still at work. She led a few children to the gate of Tangyuan to gaze at Luyuan, and when she heard the firecrackers go off in Luyuan, she returned to the courtyard.
In Luyuan, Mrs. Wang, Mrs. Gao, and Grandpa San Yeye’s two daughters-in-law, Mrs. Wu and Mrs. Sun, were bustling around. On this day, representatives from nearly half of the households in Xiangluo Village had come. They had also invited respected individuals from nearby areas, including Steward Luo and his son.
The spread of dishes was extremely lavish, leaving the villagers in awe. They couldn’t help but marvel at how the Chen family’s second branch had prospered with just a daughter! It seemed that if a daughter was well-raised, she was even more effective than a son.
On the auspicious day of the sixteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, the Chen family’s second branch officially moved. Not only did Chen Ming’s family of three move into Luyuan, but Chen Feng and her son also moved in. They would wait until the following spring for Fengyuan to be completed and decorated before moving in.
To meet the deadline, the move was somewhat rushed. The furniture had only been transported by cart a couple of days prior, and the household had only bought basic daily items such as pots, bowls, and utensils. They would slowly add more things later.
Early in the morning, the donkey cart from Chen Ye’s home and a horse-drawn cart from Tangyuan arrived. Chen Ming’s old furniture wouldn’t be moved, and there weren’t many soft furnishings. The most they had were fabrics, a few bags of grain, and several dozen chickens and two birds, along with the orchid pot from the space. It was the perfect time to take the orchid out of the space and hand it over to Abbess Liao Chen.
Dabao was puzzled to see the sudden appearance of the orchid. Chen Feng lied to him, saying that the flower had always been kept in the chicken coop to the right of the backyard. They had built two chicken coops, but only one was in use due to the small number of chickens.
Worried that the orchid might freeze, Chen Feng placed it in the carriage and brought it into Luyuan. She specifically warned Gray and Qiqi, stating that if they dared to mistake the flower for food, she would not hesitate to discipline them.
After two trips, the two carts had finished moving everything.
Carrying the last few soft furnishings, Chen Ming’s family walked out of the house. Chen Ming turned back to lock the gate and gazed at the broken courtyard for a long time.
Sixteen years ago, he had been carried into this place by Chen Ye, thinking that moving in was akin to waiting to die. But he was blessed to marry Mrs. Wang, who not only earned money to treat his illness but also gave him two children.
Now that his daughter had made something of herself, she had built a large house for him to enjoy. Today, leaving this courtyard, he walked out standing, accompanied by his wife, children, and grandchildren, spanning three generations.
Chen Ming stood for a long time, then, with the support of Mrs. Wang and Chen Feng, wiped away his tears and turned away.
As he reached the village entrance, he looked from a distance at the two large courtyards, both enclosed by tall green brick walls. Fengyuan in the east was still being built, but Luyuan in the west was already completed, with its green walls and black tiles, adorned with flying eaves, quite magnificent. In the countryside, only landlords could live in such large and luxurious courtyards.
To liven up the atmosphere, Chen Feng joked, “Moving into Luyuan, Dad becomes the landlord, and Mom becomes the landlady.”
Chen Lu chimed in, “Big sister is the young lady of the landlord’s house, I’m the young master, and Dabao is the young master of the landlord’s house.”
Their banter elicited laughter from everyone, hastening their steps toward Luyuan. Dabao led the way with Zhui Feng and Wangcai, while the two parrots circled above his head, cawing.
In Luyuan’s courtyard, there was a cross-shaped bluestone path. Four plots of land were left to be transplanted with trees when the soil thawed next year. There were three main rooms, two wing-rooms, three rooms in the east and west wings, and five back rooms. Due to the small number of people and possessions, the back rooms were nearly empty.
The layout of rural courtyards differed from those in cities. In the city, the first is the outer courtyard, and the second is the inner courtyard. In the countryside, for convenience, the first is usually the main courtyard, and the second is where livestock, toilets, or vegetable gardens are kept.
Seeing the completed cowshed and pigsty, Lu and Dabao were excited, even though they were empty. Since the start of winter, villagers had been slaughtering pigs, but the family had never raised pigs or experienced the excitement and joy of their own pig slaughtering. That special day felt like New Year’s. In the future, they could raise pigs and maybe even add a cart.
Chen Ming and his wife lived in the west wing of the main room, where a kang bed was installed. Lu and Chen Feng lived in the east and west wings, respectively, without the traditional kang beds. Following the example of wealthy city dwellers, they had carved wooden beds in their bedrooms. These beds required thick cotton mattresses and bed warmers to keep warm, a luxury not commonly seen in rural households.
The back room served as the kitchen and storage.
With many rooms but few occupants, Chen Ming particularly wanted to bring his mother to enjoy her retirement. He had asked her in secret, but she declined, having grown accustomed to living with her eldest son and fearing that he might feel unhappy.