Chapter 10.1

The next morning, perhaps because she’d had a good night’s sleep, Su Ying woke up in a great mood, though she couldn’t remember exactly what she had dreamed about. After washing up, she drank the sweet red bean porridge her mom had made and ate a sticky bean bun, feeling very satisfied.

After tidying up a bit, the second wave of workers arrived. This time it was Master Gao (President Gao), the tiler.

Master Gao was a well-known mason in the village. He didn’t just lay tiles; many of the traditional mud-brick houses in the countryside had been built by him, and he had a broad skill set. He was recommended by Aunt Xiang, Su Ying’s mom’s close friend.

Master Gao was very tall. Though nearly sixty years old, years of labor had built up strong muscles on his body.

The wood-grain tiles had been chosen after Su Ying had carefully measured the room and compared samples from several shops. She finally decided on light-colored wood-grain tiles with realistic patterns. The long rectangular shape was perfect for a herringbone pattern, though it was more labor-intensive.

Once the level tool was turned on, the floor’s evenness was immediately clear. Fortunately, the floor was fairly level, so they didn’t need to spend time re-leveling it.

Master Gao examined the wood-grain tiles, sprinkled water on them, and saw that they absorbed it quickly. With Ying’s dad’s help, they filled a big red basin with water and soaked the tiles. Bubbles rose up as the tiles released air, soaking thoroughly in the water.

Master Gao then swept the room meticulously with a large broom, mixed the cement and sand mortar, and began laying the tiles. He started from the inside of the room and worked his way out. First, the soaked tiles were arranged according to the planned layout, and then each tile was laid down and tapped with a rubber mallet to ensure a better bond between the mortar and the tile.

As expected from a skilled craftsman, the row of tiles he laid was perfectly neat and even. Cross-shaped spacers were inserted between tiles to ensure equal gaps, so that when the decorative grout was applied later, the results would be flawless.

After laying each tile, Master Gao would quickly wipe off any mortar on the surface with a damp cloth, working with such speed and precision that Su Ying couldn’t help but be impressed.

Before long, half the room was already finished. They started with full tiles first, leaving the pieces that needed cutting for later.

Seeing that she couldn’t help much, Su Ying left her dad to assist Master Gao and went to the kitchen to prepare lunch. Her mom was already there, cleaning a large fish head she had bought from the village market earlier that day.

Unlike in southern markets, fish heads here needed to be cleaned at home. Her mom took a large cleaver and chopped the fish head in half with one stroke. She scrubbed away the black membrane in the belly with a steel scrubber, removed the gills and lungs, and rinsed it clean under running water.

Su Ying took over and marinated the fish head with scallions, ginger (squeezing the juice out by hand), cooking wine, and a bit of salt to remove the fishy odor. Then she went to the corner of the kitchen and brought out a jar of pickled chili peppers that her dad had made.

Next, she went to the backyard vegetable patch and picked a bunch of fresh chilies. She was making Steamed Fish Head with Chopped Chilies this time. The washed fresh chilies were chopped together with the pickled ones. The red and yellow mix looked fiery just at a glance. She also minced plenty of garlic and prepared some fermented black beans.

When everything was ready, Su Ying heated soybean oil in a wok. Once it was lightly smoking, she added the garlic and stir-fried it until fragrant before pouring in the chopped chili mixture.

“Sizzle—!” The spicy aroma filled the kitchen instantly, making Su Ying cough and hold her breath as she stir-fried the mixture. The heat couldn’t be too high, or it would burn. She added the black beans, salt, sugar, and soy sauce to season it.

She placed the cooked chili sauce into a bowl and prepared a large plate for steaming fish. Using chopsticks to slightly elevate the fish head so it would cook evenly, she spread the cooled chili mixture evenly on top. Once the water was boiling, she placed the fish head into the steamer and cooked it for 15–20 minutes. Since this fish head was large, she steamed it for a full 20 minutes.

In the meantime, Su Ying went to the storage room for some freshly milled flour and grabbed a few eggs from the chicken coop. She used only eggs (no water) to knead the dough, making it more elastic. The egg noodles would later be boiled and served with the flavorful fish head broth—absolutely delicious.

Her mom peeled and julienned a few potatoes and soaked them in water with a bit of white vinegar. This step removed starch so the potatoes wouldn’t clump together when stir-fried, and the vinegar also made them crispier.

Green pepper strips were set aside. In another wok, they heated soybean oil, added sliced garlic, then dried chili segments and scallion segments until fragrant. The drained potato shreds were then stir-fried over high heat until just cooked, followed by the green pepper strips and salt. A splash of vinegar around the edge of the wok at the end gave the dish its signature sour aroma. The quick Hot and Sour Shredded Potatoes was ready.

By then, the fish head was done steaming. Su Ying carefully took it out with a cloth, removed the supporting chopsticks, and boiled the egg noodles. After rinsing them with cold water, she placed them in a large bowl.

Lunch was ready.

Su Ying called Master Gao and her dad to wash up and eat. Each person had a bowl of glossy, springy hand-rolled egg noodles topped with the rich fish head broth—it was heavenly.

Using chopsticks to gently lift the chili sauce revealed the fish head underneath. The best part was undoubtedly the fish lips: gelatinous, tender, and perfectly complemented by the fragrant, spicy, and savory chopped chili sauce.

The hot and sour shredded potatoes could also be mixed with the noodles. Their crisp texture and tangy-spicy flavor opened up the appetite. In no time, the large bowl of hand-rolled noodles was devoured, and only a few fish bones and potato shreds were left.

After lunch, it was back to work. The afternoon was spent measuring and cutting tiles with precision before laying them down. They worked non-stop until five or six in the evening, finishing the floor with incredible efficiency.

Su Ying’s parents invited Master Gao to stay for dinner, but he politely declined, saying his family was waiting for him at home. After packing up his tools and settling the payment, he left.

Looking at the clean, freshly laid wood-grain tiles, Su Ying felt one step closer to her dream bedroom.

She posted continuous video updates, splitting the renovation and cooking videos into two separate playlists. The renovation series drew more attention, with fans eagerly following along and anticipating the final reveal.

The cooking videos, however, were just as popular, winning her wave after wave of foodie followers.

After five or six days of drying, the tiles were firm. Su Ying and her dad covered them with protective film, taping down the edges and spreading it across the floor. The film was thick and sturdy, so they didn’t have to worry about getting the tiles dirty when they painted the walls.

For the walls, Su Ying chose a vintage yellow shade, which she bought from a shop in town that mixed paint using machines. The brand was the one with the Old English Sheepdog in its ads. As a child, she had often been captivated by that big, fluffy dog on TV, thinking it looked so silly and huggable.

It wasn’t until she grew up that she learned the breed was called the Old English Sheepdog, a large, gentle dog popular in many cities.

They started with the primer. Su Ying bought proper painting tools, and the roller brush evenly coated the walls with the primer. Since the newly plastered walls had already been sanded smooth by the micro-cement workers, they only needed two coats.

The colored paint and primer were pre-mixed in the correct ratio, so they could be poured directly into the roller bucket. Once the primer was dry, the color coat went on easily. The texture created by the roller looked much better than the brush marks from a paintbrush.

After three days of painting, they had completed more than half of the renovation.