Chapter 227

Building the wall required more than just making earthen bricks. Each family needed to clear the trees and weeds from their assigned section, dig the foundation, and transport stones from the mountain for the base. The wooden and bamboo spikes on top of the wall were also the responsibility of each family.

After the meeting dispersed, each household began dividing their tasks. The stronger members made earthen bricks, the women cut down trees and weeds to use as firewood, the older boys carried stones from the mountain, and the girls stayed home to carve the wooden and bamboo spikes.

Zhang Chunhua was furious when her parents assigned her the task of making earthen bricks. Why did the daughters of other families only need to carve wood and bamboo at home while she had to do heavy labor? She felt her parents didn’t care about her.

She thought of Ding Jiajia, with her fair, delicate face that showed no signs of hardship. Ding Jiajia also worked, but her work brought in money, and everyone admired her. Neither she nor her parents had to make earthen bricks because Hu Wenhua helped them. Why did Ding Jiajia get to live such a good life just because she had good parents?

“Hurry up! It’s going to be dark soon!” Zhang Tuzi’s impatient voice snapped her back to reality.

Aunt Zhang murmured, “Chunhua, you’re the fastest and strongest worker. Your father and I are counting on you. Our section is the shortest, but we have fewer people, so you need to hurry, or we won’t finish in time.”

Zhang Chunhua bit her lip. It was always like this—her father was harsh, her mother was weak, and the work always fell on her shoulders. She glanced back at her parents in their low, dark thatched house as they discussed what to make for dinner.

She resolved to marry into a good family and live a better life. Hu Wenhua was the best option available. In two or three days, he would return. Her mother had said that men couldn’t resist their urges, especially those who had never been with a woman. Hu Wenhua looked strong and capable; if something happened, the Hu family wouldn’t be able to refuse.

Sun Jinhua’s family had a section that wasn’t too long or too short. The village chief hadn’t given them any special difficulty. They had many men of working age, and the villagers envied them, thinking their work would be easy.

However, their family had their struggles. While other families had two or even three meals a day, with black bread and potatoes filling their bellies, Sun Jinhua’s family only had two half-full meals a day, leaving them weak and hungry before the next meal.

“Mom, why don’t we secretly ask Zhaodi to save some of Aunt’s food for us?” suggested Fan Sanzhu quietly. He had seen Zhaodi’s ample portion today and thought even a share meant for him would be enough.

“Zhaodi is foolish for wanting to come back. She has plenty to eat and drink at Aunt’s house,” mumbled Fan Sizhu.

Fan Qian slapped the back of Fan Sizhu’s head and scolded, “There’s no place like home. Zhaodi wants to return because she remembers her roots! You two go to her quietly, without anyone noticing. Tell her that her parents and grandmother are hungry. She will definitely save her food for us. We don’t need your uncle’s share, just Zhaodi’s. Even if we get caught, it won’t be a big deal.”

Fan Sanzhu nodded, “Dad’s right. I’ll try to talk to Zhaodi after dark.”

Fan Sizhu thought his brother was foolish. The wall around Aunt’s house was high, and Zhaodi, with her injured leg, needed assistance to walk and likely didn’t need to work. How would his brother see Zhaodi if she didn’t come out?

However, this had nothing to do with him, and he didn’t have to go. If there were any leftovers, they would include his portion.

Thinking of the food again, and also thinking of Ding Jiajia who could earn silver, he looked towards his parents and spoke up, “Mom, Dad, I don’t mind marrying into Ding’s family. You can go and tell them I’m willing to marry into their family as long as they start taking care of my food and drink from now on!”

Fan Sanzhu nearly choked on his own words!

He stared straight at his younger brother, surprised by his decisiveness.

Sun Jinhua was also shocked, then slapped her son on the back, scolding, “Nonsense! You have three older brothers above you. If you’re getting married, it should be them first!”

Fan Sanzhu breathed a sigh of relief. His eldest and second brothers would definitely not agree. If he did, he would be ahead of his younger brothers.

Fan Qian frowned upon hearing his son’s proposal to marry into another family. He wasn’t pleased.

But times were tough at home. The fields hadn’t yielded any crops this year, and next year’s harvest was uncertain. He didn’t have the energy to deal with these younger ones.

Let them sort themselves out. Perhaps they could even bring back the Ding family’s assets. That would be even better.

Each person in the family had different thoughts, but they all tacitly agreed that marrying into the Ding family was acceptable.

·

Dragging goods in the hot weather along bumpy dirt roads was no easy task.

They avoided the scorching noon sun and the convoy resumed its journey.

After a journey fraught with bumps and stumbles, they finally reached the border between Guangning Prefecture and Nanning Prefecture just before nightfall.

They found a sheltered spot with good wind and water access, and everyone began preparing for the night.

First, they gathered all the vehicles to one side for easy monitoring and also as a form of protection.

They cleared a flat area and spread dry hay over it. They stacked small firewood on top and burned it for a while to effectively remove the moisture and dampness from the ground.

After floods, no matter where, there was always a damp, rotten smell. The ground was particularly wet, and dew was heavy at night. Sleeping on damp ground could lead to catching a cold the next day.

After the fire died down, they pushed all the ashes and glowing charcoal to a pit on the side, then set up a fire with firewood to cook their food.

The ground was dry and cool after the fire burned, and they could lay down and sleep directly on the reed mats they had brought.

Others worked in coordinated roles, completing their tasks and resting while waiting for dinner. Only Fan Dazhu and Fan Erzhu worked tirelessly from start to finish.

They gathered firewood, made fires, boiled water, cooked food… everything had to be done by themselves, and the food they cooked was noticeably less fragrant than lunch.

“Mom, really, everyone else’s noodles are stir-fried, and as soon as hot water is added, it smells delicious. Ours are still raw noodles, and even after cooking, they aren’t sweet or fragrant,” Fan Erzhu couldn’t help but complain.

Fan Dazhu also noticed the difference.

Same black noodles, same life, but such a big difference between our family and others?

As fellow travelers pulled out cucumbers and other vegetables to nibble on, their fresh scents wafted through the air, and Fan Dazhu and Fan Erzhu’s dissatisfaction with their own situation reached its peak.