Chapter 23: Building the New House!

The Shen family—specifically, Old Seventh Shen’s household—was building a new house!

Lately, quite a few villagers had vaguely heard that Old Seventh Shen’s family was stockpiling building materials. People had even noticed that some stones and timber were gradually piling up on the wasteland behind their house.

But building a house in the countryside wasn’t something that could be done easily.

Labor wasn’t the hard part—relatives and close connections in the brigade could all lend a hand. With enough people, it could take a little over ten days; with fewer, maybe twenty or so days to complete the work.

What was difficult was gathering the materials—stones, timber, tiles, straw, yellow mud, sand… all sorts of odds and ends. And if you wanted the house to be well-built, you also had to collect bricks and buy cement. All in all, gathering everything usually took at least a year or two. Some families had to save up for seven or eight years just to collect enough materials to build a house.

Of course, that was not only because people were poor back then and couldn’t save much money over the year, but also because resources were truly scarce. Even if you had money, you might not be able to buy materials.

So even though people had heard the rumors, they thought that if Old Seventh Shen could manage to build a house within three years, that alone would be impressive.

Who would have thought—before much time had passed—his family had already begun construction!

On the day of the groundbreaking, not only was the foundation of the Shen family’s newly marked-out plot packed with people helping with the work, even the road outside the village was crowded with onlookers.

Many couldn’t help but sigh with emotion. Life’s fortunes were so unpredictable. Not long ago, Old Seventh Shen and his daughter had still been worrying about having no grain at home, and now, in just a short time, he had become a worker at the kiln factory—and they were even building a new house.

The moment the kiln factory’s tractor delivered load after load of bricks, this sentiment deepened even further.

The fact that Old Seventh Shen’s family could build their house so quickly was partly because he and his daughter had suffered enough and finally toughened up, managing to get their money back from the first and second branches of the family. But even with money, to get so many bricks in such a short time must have been due to Old Seventh Shen working at the kiln factory. Otherwise, just lining up to buy bricks would have taken ages.

As the old saying goes: “Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river.” But in the case of Old Seventh Shen’s family, in just a short while, everything was completely different from before.

When they previously drafted a written agreement with the first and second branches, it had clearly stated that the 300 yuan was only the money for the house itself. If Shen Shaoyuan’s family ever decided to build a house, the first and second branches would be responsible for covering the labor needed to build it. So today, the sons of the first and second branches were all present.

Technically, labor days could be converted into money. But how much money could rural folk save in a year? Who would willingly use cash to replace labor?

These so-called “cousins” of Shen Mo’er all wore sullen faces, working extremely begrudgingly, muttering in their hearts about how their parents hadn’t excluded the labor obligation from that original agreement. Now they not only had to do unpaid work for their Seventh Uncle, but also had to endure being laughed at by the entire village.

But they never stopped to think—logically, as Old Seventh Shen’s nephews, they should be helping anyway with the house construction.

The rest of the first and second branches didn’t come. They were too ashamed to show their faces.

Only Cao Mei showed up, standing at the village road with her two grandsons to watch the commotion. Someone teased her:
“Oh hey, Cao Mei! Old Seventh’s building a house—how come Jianhui didn’t come to help? And you, as the sister-in-law, shouldn’t you at least help prepare the food?”

But Cao Mei had a thick skin. A person bold enough to barge into someone else’s house and snatch grain couldn’t possibly be thin-skinned. She stood with her hands on her hips, glaring in the direction of Old Seventh Shen’s house, then spat and said,
“He didn’t bring anything to invite me over, so why should I or Jianhui help him? Do we look like we have time to waste?”

Everyone else: “…”

Speechless.

She really couldn’t tell she was being mocked!

Still blaming Old Seventh Shen for not bringing her a gift to ask for help? The fact that he hadn’t smashed her windows already was proof of his good temper.

Some people really were both mean and stupid.

Those nearby couldn’t help but take a few steps back—no one wanted anything to do with someone like her.

In truth, the recent chain of events had completely changed how the villagers viewed the three branches of the Shen family.

Before, they thought Eldest Shen was clever, Second Shen was kind, and Third Shen was forthright… But now, they realized that cleverness could be too cunning, kindness might be fake, and forthrightness might just mean being dumb and mean.

People didn’t turn bad overnight. Most likely, these three families had always been this way.

Looking back now, many villagers realized that no wonder Old Seventh Shen’s family, despite having only two people, had always lived so poorly. Clearly, they’d been squeezed dry by the others for years.

Shen Mo’er knew none of this. She was busy working in the kitchen with Auntie Chen.

Because there were many people to feed, Shen Shaoyuan had someone set up a temporary stove outside the kitchen. They also borrowed an iron wok from Auntie Chen’s household, so they wouldn’t have to rely on a single pot for everything.

Auntie Chen was briskly handling a wild rabbit, grinning so wide her teeth showed.
“I really made a great deal today—just lending you a pot, and my whole family gets to eat this amazing meal. Mo’er, you’ve taken a huge loss on this trade.”

Shen Mo’er was quickly chopping wild green onions on the cutting board. She smiled and replied,
“Your whole family is helping me too, aren’t they? Besides, if I borrowed your pot, you all wouldn’t be able to cook at home. I couldn’t just let you go hungry, could I? Though to be fair, this season doesn’t even have a northwest wind for you to sip.”

Auntie Chen laughed,
“You little rascal! Don’t worry, this old woman has thick skin—I’m thrilled to take advantage of you!”

The two of them joked and worked together. Just then, Auntie Chen’s daughter-in-law, Sister Xinmei—who had been outside washing rice—came in carrying an enamel pot full of freshly cleaned rice. She hesitated for a moment, looking troubled, then said,
“Mo’er, should we add some sweet potato slices on top of the rice? The ones from our house are pretty sweet, and they steam really nicely with the rice.”

Shen Mo’er asked curiously, “Sister Xinmei, do you think I didn’t put in enough rice? I counted the number of people—there should be a bit extra per head. If it’s not enough, I’ll go measure some more. For the first meal, I wanted everyone to eat heartily, so I didn’t add anything else.”

Sister Xinmei glanced at her mother-in-law and hesitated to speak. Madam Chen understood immediately—she thought Shen Mo’er didn’t intend to count their little ones in.

Madam Chen had been getting along with Shen Mo’er for a while and understood her personality. Since she had said that the entire family, young and old, was welcome to eat, there was no way she would play such petty tricks.

So she said, “Why are you hemming and hawing? Mo’er is generous. Either someone miscounted earlier, or you should go count again. If it’s not enough, just ask Mo’er to measure some more rice.”

Seeing her mother-in-law say so, Sister Xinmei secretly breathed a sigh of relief and agreed. She was just about to follow her mother-in-law’s suggestion and go recount when Shen Mo’er suddenly slammed the cleaver down on the chopping board and said, “Ah, I know what’s going on now.”

She smiled and explained, “Sister Xinmei, you can go count again if you want, but my eldest and second uncle’s sons—my older male cousins—don’t need to be counted. They’re here working to pay off what they owe our family in labor hours. There’s no reason they should be provided with meals.”

Sister Xinmei gasped in surprise. Madam Chen paused in her handling of the rabbits, then chuckled and said, “Mo’er has a point. Since they’re working to repay labor time, it’s reasonable not to include their meals.”

Of course, the host family could still provide meals out of politeness, but Madam Chen thought about how the Shen family’s main and second branches had behaved. She figured Shen Shaoyuan and Shen Mo’er were upset and didn’t want to feed them—and honestly, that was understandable.

Seeing her mother-in-law agree, Sister Xinmei felt that not feeding them in this situation seemed a bit cold-hearted, but after all, it was someone else’s business, and she wasn’t one to meddle. So she said, “No need to count then. If we’re not including them, the amount of rice is more than enough.”

Even if everyone ate to their heart’s content, it should still be sufficient.

At that moment, Sister Xinmei didn’t know whether Shen Mo’er was stingy or generous.

She’d prepared such a good meal for those who helped and even covered the food for Sister Xinmei’s little ones just because she borrowed a pot.

Yet she was unwilling to give even a single bite to her cousins.

She figured it was because the Shen family’s main and second branches had gone too far before and deeply hurt Shen Shaoyuan and his daughter.

Sister Xinmei let out a quiet sigh and went back to work.

Once her daughter-in-law left, Madam Chen asked Shen Mo’er, “With this many people eating every day, do you have enough grain at home? If not, we can spare some from our household.”

Shen Mo’er smiled and thanked her, saying, “We have enough. Didn’t your family bring some dried sweet potatoes and corn? Later we won’t eat just white rice—we’ll mix it with coarse grains, and that should be enough. If it really isn’t, I’ll definitely ask you. I won’t stand on ceremony.”

There were indeed a lot of people helping. Not counting the main and second branches of the Shen family, a few strong laborers from the families who had a good relationship with Shen Mo’er recently had come. Team leader Zhou Mancang had also helped gather some hands. A few relatives with the surname Shen, from the same clan, came voluntarily too. And then there were Fu Mingze and Zheng Jiamin.

Fortunately, they had prepared a fair amount of grain in advance. Shen Shaoyuan borrowed some from the brigade, got some ration coupons from the kiln factory, and even traded a plain gold ring from the treasure vault with Sister Qiao for grain.

Honestly, the hardest part of all this wasn’t borrowing or exchanging grain—it was finding that one unremarkable plain gold ring in the vast treasure vault filled with countless rare treasures.

Shen Mo’er had spent three full days organizing the vault before she found it.

Luckily, she found an entire string of them. There were several, so if they were short on money in the future, they could always trade more.

Madam Chen finished skinning and cleaning the three rabbits, while Shen Mo’er had already prepared the seasonings and ingredients. She took two of the rabbits and chopped them with loud thuds. Then she used fire tongs to stuff some firewood into the stove’s fire hole. Soon, flames roared to life. She added oil, scallions, ginger, star anise, soy sauce, and cooking wine, then pushed the entire chopping board’s worth of meat into the pot. With just a slight stir from the spatula, a rich and mouthwatering aroma wafted out.

Only then did Shen Mo’er free up her hands to marinate the remaining rabbit with salt and seasoning. That one was saved for tomorrow.

Madam Chen exclaimed, “Oh wow, your cooking skills are really something! This smells so good—it’s making my mouth water.”

Shen Mo’er grinned. “It’s a whole pot of meat. How could it not make your mouth water?”

Madam Chen laughed too. “That’s true. But still, not everyone’s meat dish smells as good as yours. Did your mom teach you this?”

Shen Mo’er’s eyes flickered, but she replied with a “yes.”

The original host’s maternal family must have been well-off. Just from the photos left behind, you could tell—everyone was stylishly dressed, and the background looked like a gardened villa. But the original host’s mother actually wasn’t much of a cook. Shen Mo’er guessed they likely had servants, and the woman had probably grown up without ever touching housework.

It was just like Shen Mo’er herself—if it weren’t for the desire to personally make a few dishes and a bowl of longevity noodles for Shen Shaoyuan’s birthday each year, how could a commandery princess like her ever need to cook?

The original host did know a little cooking, but Shen Mo’er suspected it wasn’t very good. From her memories, everything she made was bland and watery—completely unappetizing.

Madam Chen said, “It’s a pity your mom didn’t get close with the villagers while she was alive. If I had known she was so capable, I’d definitely have had my daughters learn from her.”

Shen Mo’er blinked guiltily and stayed quiet.

She and her father were now attributing all the skills they weren’t supposed to have—painting, calligraphy, cooking, needlework—to the original host’s late mother. At this rate, that woman would become the legendary figure of Yangliu brigade.

Inside the kitchen, the cooking was in full swing; outside, the work was also going full throttle. Then, all of a sudden, everyone caught a whiff of an extremely rich, meaty aroma—so intense it made their knees go weak.

“Old Seventh, you’re eating so well for lunch today. Are you cooking meat? This smell—it’s making my mouth water,” said one of the Shen clan relatives with a laugh.

“Seventh Uncle is so generous! With a smell like that, I already feel hungry,” said Chen Zhuangzhuang, Madam Chen’s son.

“I asked Comrade Shen Mo’er this morning—there’s meat, plenty of vegetables, and as much white rice as you want,” Zheng Jiamin chimed in cheerfully. “Brother Zhuangzhuang, hand me the winnowing basket—I need to work harder or I’ll be too embarrassed to eat more later.”

He was a natural at blending in and already got along well with the commune members. Now that they were working together, he’d quickly become one of them.

Everyone burst into laughter. Chen Zhuangzhuang teased, “You’re like a little chick—Seventh Uncle’s family is definitely losing out feeding you!”

Zheng Jiamin replied with a grin, “It’s the thought that counts!”

Shen Shaoyuan, as the host, was in charge of overseeing and giving directions on-site. He stood outside, glancing at Zheng Jiamin, who was enthusiastically chatting with the commune members. Shen thought to himself, This kid sure is talkative, but he looks too plain. My Mo’er definitely wouldn’t be interested in someone like that.

Then he looked at Fu Mingze, who was quietly working without saying a word, and clicked his tongue inwardly. He looks decent enough, but his work is just average. His strength isn’t even half of Chen Zhuangzhuang’s. He can’t compare to any of my freeloading nephews. Mediocre—absolutely mediocre.

He completely ignored the fact that Chen Zhuangzhuang was recognized by the entire brigade as the strongest and most capable worker, and that his own nephews were also known for being efficient laborers.

Others chatted and laughed while working, but the freeloading nephews of the Shen family remained silent the entire time.

Still, as the aroma from the kitchen grew stronger and more enticing, they couldn’t help but swallow their saliva, secretly thinking: Even if we’re working for free, getting to eat food this good makes it all worth it. Just this one meal is worth a whole day’s labor points.

Even a few villagers lingering along the road to watch the commotion could smell the food. They gulped and looked enviously at the workers. If we’d known Old Seventh Shen’s meals were this good, we should’ve shamelessly volunteered to help too!

Time quietly slipped by amidst everyone’s anticipation and envy. At some point, a clear voice rang out from the kitchen direction—Shen Mo’er calling:
“Dad, it’s time to eat!”

Almost simultaneously, everyone stopped what they were doing.

Shen Shaoyuan twitched his mouth slightly and said smoothly, “Alright, let’s eat first!”

Everyone immediately dropped their tools, rushed to the well next door to wash the mud off their hands, then flocked in unison toward the kitchen.

Shen Shaoyuan followed behind at a leisurely pace. With a natural tone, he turned to his freeloading nephews and said,
“Jianping, Jian’an, Jianlin, Jianye, Jianshe—it’s too hot at noon. Go home, eat, and rest for a bit before coming back. But don’t take too long. We’re calculating by workdays here. Family or not, things need to be fair. A full workday means a full workday. You wouldn’t want to have to come back later and make up the time, would you?”

The freeloading nephews abruptly stopped in their tracks and looked at each other in disbelief.

Was he seriously asking them to work for free and not even feed them?!

Shen Jianping, the eldest son of the eldest house, couldn’t hold back. “Seventh Uncle, don’t you think that’s a bit too heartless?”

Shen Shaoyuan looked calmly at this nephew who was actually a few years older than himself and replied with a question, “Isn’t it the rule that if you’re making up hours, you don’t get fed?”

He paused, then continued with a sincere and earnest tone,
“Jianping, you’re not young anymore. You even look older than your Seventh Uncle. How can you still say something so immature? Our family already doesn’t have much grain, and now we’re expected to feed so many mouths. If you had any sense, not only would you not expect to stay and eat, you should’ve brought over some grain to help out this morning.
Sigh, whatever. You’re not my own child, so I won’t say too much. Just remember to rest and come back early.”

Shen Jianping, who was four years older than Shen Shaoyuan: “…”

Everyone else: “…”

Do you even hear yourself?
No food, and you expect them to bring you food as compensation? How delusional is that?
And how can you say “rest a bit” and “come back early” in the same breath? Isn’t that contradictory?

At that moment, the freeloading nephews felt the same speechless frustration that the elderly women had felt earlier after listening to Wang Jinbao’s nonsense.

Too much to complain about, not enough words to express it—they were left completely dumbfounded.

After all, they weren’t much younger than Shen Shaoyuan. It wasn’t like they could act like kids and shamelessly insist on staying for lunch. In the end, they stormed off with grim faces, filled with resentment.

The others who had been working alongside them paused for a moment, curious and eavesdropping. But they were soon jolted back to the present by Zheng Jiamin’s loud shout,
“Comrade Mo’er, I want meat!”

Immediately, everyone rushed over to snatch some meat for themselves.

What did the Shen family’s personal drama have to do with them? Was it more important than eating meat? Absolutely not.

Besides, with a few fewer people, there would be more meat for everyone else—hehe.

Everyone devoured the meal with such relish that it was like they were about to swallow their tongues. The younger kids from Aunt Chen’s family were over the moon. As they ate, they chattered excitedly, saying they hoped Sister Mo’er’s family would keep building the house for three more years. Their antics made all the adults burst into laughter.

Technically, those kids should’ve called Shen Mo’er “aunt,” since Shen Shaoyuan was quite senior in family rank despite his age. But Shen Mo’er never corrected them. Being called “sister” sounded younger—what’s not to like?

After lunch, everyone went home to rest for a while. The weather was hot, and working at noon could lead to heatstroke. Once the hottest part of the day passed, people started returning on their own, one after another—even the freeloading nephews came back.

They had no choice. Shen Shaoyuan now wasn’t the same man he used to be. If he said they had to make up work hours, he meant it. And if their hours didn’t add up later, he would absolutely make them come back.

Didn’t want to make up the time? He’d start talking about “death by rope” again.

Honestly, the people from the Shen family’s first and second houses were starting to think Shen Shaoyuan had gone mad.

He truly was a different person from before. And seriously, what normal person went around talking about strangling people with hemp rope?

So they figured the man had just been too traumatized—half-crazed, really.

He looked normal, but deep down, they believed he’d snapped.

Who would dare provoke a lunatic like that? What if he really strangled someone? Or didn’t strangle them, but went after their kids instead?

Better not to mess with him. Just listen, obey, and work quietly.

That night, Shen Mo’er didn’t make any meat dishes for dinner, but she did scramble six eggs with a big heap of wild vegetables. Everyone was still thoroughly satisfied.

Thus, the first day of construction came to a peaceful close.

Though they hadn’t done any heavy labor, it was still a busy day. After washing up that night, both Shen Mo’er and Shen Shaoyuan went to bed early.

Since the attempted break-in, Shen Shaoyuan had gotten a big lock from the commune and now locked the door properly every night. After that, the father and daughter stopped sleeping in the vault.

The cotton they had bought hadn’t yet been turned into quilts, but with the weather warming up, they just used old quilt covers or clothes as blankets.

The second day, the third day… As time passed, the foundation slowly took shape, and the first layer of the walls began to go up.

That night, Shen Mo’er was fast asleep when she suddenly jolted awake, as if she’d had a nightmare.

She lay there groggy for a bit, and as her mind cleared, she realized there was some sort of sound near the window.

Given the recent attempted break-in, Shen Mo’er immediately tensed. She quietly got up and tiptoed to the window.

Plop.

Something hit the ground.

Plop.

Another one.

By the moonlight, Shen Mo’er finally saw clearly—it was small stones being thrown through the window.

This half-room window had been added later. Probably for safety reasons, it was set higher than usual. Now, one corner of the window paper had been torn, and the little stones were being tossed through that hole.

Shen Mo’er: “…”

In the middle of the night?

Seriously creepy.