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Shen Yu’an caught a whiff of the aroma of the wine and wanted to have a taste.
However, Grandpa Shen was afraid that they would gulp down the wine in no time, so he sealed the wine jar and carried it away. Shen Yu’an could only give up.
The meal was enjoyable, after eating, Grandpa Zhang and the others decided to stay here.
Meanwhile, the Shen family continued their stay in the rented house. Since their own house had not been completed yet, they would need to stay here for a few more days.
On the way back, Shen Erlang walked beside Ji Xun and asked in confusion, “Didn’t you say your home is around here? Why haven’t you gone back yet?”
Ji Xun felt as if his heart had been stabbed mercilessly. His “home” was indeed in the south, that was true. But this home was not the same.
He was originally an orphan, picked up by his master during his wandering travels in the south. The master said it was fate between the two of them and kept him by his side, teaching him his skills and passing down his legacy.
After his master left, Ji Xun didn’t know where he went during his travels, so he had nowhere else to go. Naturally, he had to rely on the Shen family.
Since his master had instructed him to find someone here, he believed that his master would eventually return. Ji Xun chuckled awkwardly. He said, “Indeed, I am supposed to be here. It’s just that my master is still traveling, but once he returns, I will be able to leave.”
Shen Erlang didn’t care at all about when he would leave.
He said, “Hmm, it’s not a problem to stay here.”
Just as Ji Xun was touched by his words, Erlang spoke again.
He said in a soft voice, “Then don’t forget about the protection fee for this journey, as well as the cost of your meals during these days. To be honest, you eat quite a lot.”
Ji Xun’s spontaneous remark of “Erlang, you’re really too good to me” became somewhat comical.
Everyone burst into laughter without hesitation.
Shen Ming chuckled and said, “That’s right, Ji kid, you ate even more than me on this journey. I never expected that someone who appears so refined would have such a big appetite during meals.”
Ji Xun felt a bit helpless. He didn’t eat a lot; it was just that the food was too delicious.
He now felt an overwhelming need to establish his own dignity.
He lightly tapped Erlang and straightened his posture, putting on the stern demeanor of a strict teacher.
“Ahem, well, I haven’t been completely useless on this journey either. At the very least, I can be considered half of your mentor. How dare you speak of me like that?”
Everyone started playfully teasing each other, joking without any reservations.
Days passed by in such a simple and ordinary manner, and the Shen family and the Zhang family gradually integrated into the village.
The construction of the Shen family’s house was also nearing completion.
On the final day, Shen Yu’an paid the villagers who had come to help with the house construction.
It took a little over twenty days to complete the Shen family’s house, and each person received nearly five hundred wen as their wages.
Shen Yu’an had calculated the number of days each person had worked in advance and strung together the copper coins accordingly.
Whenever Shen Dalang called out a person’s name, someone would step forward and take the string of money from Shen Yu’an’s hands.
“Heh, we might have a good year this year. When it’s the twelfth lunar month, let’s go to town and buy some meat. We’ll celebrate the New Year in style,” said Zhu Dazhuang, holding a sizable string of money in his hands, voicing the thoughts in everyone’s hearts.
They looked gratefully at the Shen family. Without them, this money would not have existed.
On the final day of completion, these people helped the Shen family move the newly made furniture from the Du family’s house.
With many hands, it didn’t take much time to move all the furniture for the dozen or so rooms.
Shen Yu’an and Grandma Shen went to the Du family and paid the remaining silver. The Du family father and sons were also overjoyed.
As Shen Yu’an and Grandma Shen were about to leave, the Du family members continued to smile and say, “Auntie, if you need anything, just come over. We’ll make it beautifully for you.”
Grandma Shen also smiled and replied, “Don’t worry, if there’s anything we need to buy, we’ll definitely trouble you.”
Once the two of them left, the Du family daughter-in-law couldn’t help but envy, saying, “These two families that escaped the disaster have such a strong foundation. That large courtyard, I don’t think anyone in town can compare to it.”
Old Mr. Du also felt emotional. They were generous in their actions, unlike people who had experienced the hardships of fleeing a disaster.
He said, “Having a strong foundation is someone else’s skill. Let’s focus on living our own lives well.”
During this period, their family had been making furniture for both the Shen and Zhang families. The two families had requested many items, and they had just finished working on them in the past few days.
As a result, they earned a considerable amount of silver during this period, more than what they would typically earn in several months of business.
After all, everyone had come through tough times. If a bed frame or cabinet was broken, they could repair it and still make use of it.
This year, it’s a good year!
The daughter-in-law of the Du family chuckled and said, “Father is right.”
However, her conversation took a turn as she mentioned the Shen and Zhang families.
“I’ve heard that both of their families are inquiring about suitable girls in the village. I’ve seen those boys before, and they all have decent appearances.”
“I’ve been thinking, isn’t our younger sister of marriageable age? If she can establish a relationship with either of their families, her future days will surely be better.”