Chapter 73

Ye Baizhi ate two steamed buns and felt completely full. Although a little overstuffed, her belly was warm and cozy—it was a satisfying kind of full.

All three of them—Ye Baizhi, Da Bao, and Ye Wulan—had eaten more than usual. They just really liked mantou.

Ye Wulan even thought that if they ever sold mantou at their food stall, it would probably be a huge hit.

After clearing the dishes and tidying the table, Ye Wulan was about to go fetch water. But Ye Baizhi stopped him. “Let’s make a carrying pole first—it’ll be much easier to fetch water that way.”

As she described what she had in mind, Ye Wulan went out, found a long wooden board, and polished it down according to her instructions. He tied ropes to both ends, attaching hooks made from bone so that they could hang water buckets. Half an hour later, the pole was finished. Thanks to his abilities, crafting such things went quickly.

“This is the shoulder pole?” he asked.

Ye Baizhi nodded. “Yep, a carrying pole—so you can balance the buckets on both sides.”

“I’ll show you how it works.” She placed the pole across her shoulders and lifted two water buckets, one on each side.

“See? This way, you can carry two buckets at once—and it’s easier on the body.”

“But you have to maintain your balance.”

Ye Baizhi only demonstrated once before Ye Wulan understood how it worked. Then he slung the carrying pole over his shoulders and headed out to fetch water.

After finishing his meal, Da Bao began to feel sleepy, so Ye Baizhi tucked him into bed for a nap. Next, she took out the soybeans from her storage space—already sorted and clean—and poured them into a large vat.

Once Ye Wulan returned with water, she planned to soak the soybeans. After soaking, they could be steamed and cooked. She also fetched the three gourds they’d gotten that morning and began cleaning them. She planned to turn one into a dipper for scooping water and the other two into canteens for carrying it.

When Ye Baizhi finished all this and still hadn’t seen Ye Wulan return, she grew a little uneasy.

“Could something have happened?”

The well wasn’t that far away—it shouldn’t be taking this long.

Worried, she stepped to the doorway and looked off into the distance.

After a moment, she spotted Ye Wulan, finally returning, the carrying pole balanced across his shoulders.

“Nothing happened, right? Were there just a lot of people at the well?” Ye Baizhi asked.

Seeing the worry in her eyes, Ye Wulan said, “I’m sorry for making you worry.”

“It’s okay. I’m just glad you’re back.”

Ye Wulan explained, “There were quite a few people fetching water. But what really caused the delay was everyone being curious about the carrying pole—they thought it was clever and asked if I’d sell one.”

“They all wanted one to make carrying water easier.”

Most people fetching water from the well brought just one bucket and had to make several trips. The nearby river was a bit farther from their place, so using the well was much more convenient.

Ye Baizhi chuckled. “I didn’t expect the carrying pole to be such a hit.”

“But it makes sense. I didn’t see a single one while we were at the market.”

“How did you respond?” Ye Baizhi asked, curious.

Ye Wulan replied gently, “I said my wife made it. If they wanted to buy one, I’d go home and ask her first.”

Ye Baizhi hadn’t expected him to say that.

“You can make the call yourself next time,” she said, then thought for a moment. “But honestly, it’s a simple thing. Since we’re new here, it’s better to build a good relationship with the neighbors.”

“Shoulder poles are easy to make—we can teach them.”

She wasn’t someone who gave out help freely, but something like this wasn’t a big deal. It didn’t require any technical skill. They could just show others how to make it. If the neighbors felt goodwill because of it and didn’t cause trouble, that alone was worth it.

Even though she and Ye Wulan weren’t afraid of anyone, it was still better to get along where possible. After all, they might be living here for quite a while, especially if they planned to keep running a stall at the market nearby.

Ye Wulan nodded. “Alright. I’ll let them know next time I go fetch water.”

Just as he said that, his expression suddenly shifted.

“Something’s happen—Big brother’s in danger.”