Chapter 80

Shuiqing, oblivious to any self-awareness, asked blankly, “Should I be worried enough to come remind you?”

Interrupting someone’s reunion so abruptly wasn’t a good idea.

Fan Jin felt frustrated but had nothing to say.

He had glanced back at her several times, but never once had he seen anxiety, jealousy, concern… not even resentment.

Her eyes were wide open, filled with excitement and curiosity.

It was like she was just watching a spectacle… no, Shuiqing definitely trusted him!

Yes, that was it—she trusted him, which was why she wasn’t getting involved.

Watching Fan Jin go from angry to calm was just a matter of moments.

This person was remarkably emotionally stable, comforting himself when needed.

Although she didn’t know what the matter was, emotionally stable people were quite good.

“Next time something like this happens, remember to come remind me,” Fan Jin advised softly, still uneasy.

Shuiqing was surprised. Was a poor scholar really this popular?

“Next time?” she questioned.

Fan Jin thought Shuiqing was upset, which filled him with joy. He quickly suppressed it and assured her, “There won’t be a next time!”

Shuiqing nodded.

There probably wouldn’t be until he passed the civil service exam.

That’s a long way off, no need to rush.

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Next day

Just as dawn broke, Fan Jin quietly got up, cut some grass to feed the oxen, and then set off for Niutou Town with a bamboo basket on his back.

The ox cart was in use today, so this time he didn’t have anything to carry to his father-in-law’s house. Walking there and back would be quick.

As soon as Shuiqing woke up and finished washing, she packed up and went to the former village chief’s house.

“Are we really going to build a house?” Wang Guifen asked in surprise as she fed the chickens with a winnowing basket in hand.

Zhang Hui, the second daughter-in-law, also approached and asked, “When are you starting?”

They knew Fan Jin and Shuiqing planned to build a house, but they didn’t expect it to happen so soon!

And a brick-and-tile house at that.

They remembered when they built their own brick-and-tile house, the whole family deliberated for nearly half a year before finalizing the decision. They were so excited they couldn’t sleep all night before the decision was made.

Shuiqing smiled brightly, sharing with the two and the old village chief in the courtyard, “We’re starting today!

We’ve bought a blueprint and hired a few master craftsmen. They should arrive by mid-morning, so we want to gather everyone in the village now to see how many hands we have and allocate the work.”

“Well, news about you building a house spread all over last night. If you shout, everyone will come!” Wang Guifen said nonchalantly.

Zhang Hui chimed in, “That’s right. Leaving everything else aside, our three men at home definitely want to join in!”

“Old folks, get the gong and start banging it,” the former village chief instructed.

Shuiqing knew that aside from a few particularly lazy or contentious families in the village, everyone else wouldn’t miss a chance to earn money.

But if they went door-to-door inviting people, explaining everything individually would be too cumbersome.

The main reason for gathering at the former village chief’s house was to efficiently organize and delegate tasks.

Furthermore, when it came to transporting the bricks and tiles from the kiln, only the Li brothers knew the exact location.

Men and women had come in good numbers.

“Yesterday, the head of our household and I went to the prefectural city and confirmed the quantity of bricks and tiles. Look, here’s the proof,” Shuiqing announced loudly.

The wages were set according to the city’s rates. Originally, the village’s wages were certainly lower, but the workers from the city didn’t need to provide their own carts, and the journey was closer and easier.

So, this wage wasn’t considered high.

However, the villagers were different. Upon hearing thirty wén a day, they immediately became enthusiastic.

Thirty wén a day!

A few days ago, the former village chief had warned that there might be a flood next year. Even if there wasn’t a flood, they still wanted to rebuild their homes.

With some money, who wouldn’t want to improve their living conditions?

They had been debating whether to use thatched roofs or tiles. Yesterday evening, upon hearing that Aunt Zhang had decided on tiles, they all decided on tiles too!

If Aunt Zhang could afford it, they could too.

However, using tiles required money. If they didn’t have extra money saved, they’d feel anxious.

Now that there was work to be had, everyone was eager to take part.

Shuiqing finalized that men from households with carts would transport the bricks back.

The former village chief’s house had a flatbed and a single-wheeled cart, and both eldest and second Li went.

In total, there were nineteen carts, including their own ox cart, which should be enough.

Shuiqing then asked, “For digging foundations, moving stones, carrying beams, and bricks, the wage is twenty-three wén a day. Raise your hand if you’re interested.”

Those who weren’t chosen raised their hands even higher, some even standing on tiptoes.

Twenty-three wén a day! For families with many workers, that was enough to earn plenty of tiles in a day.

Shuiqing needed to build many houses quickly, so apart from those too old, too young, or too frail, she selected everyone else.

For digging foundations, they needed hoes, and for moving stones, they needed bamboo baskets. Her family certainly didn’t have so many.

Fortunately, the villagers who were chosen spontaneously brought their own tools.

Shuiqing also invited a few women who were usually close and nimble with their hands to prepare lunch by noon. However, they needed to go home first to arrange things and could only come to help tomorrow.

Eldest Li took the purchase voucher for bricks and tiles, leading the long line of carts ahead.

The others went back to dig foundations with hoes, pick up stones with bamboo baskets, and carry on their backs.

The vast and flat land buzzed with activity, bustling with energy.

Fan Jin went alone but returned with two others.

“Sis! Are you really going to build a brick-and-tile house, or a courtyard?” Hu Wenhua, tall and robust, ran over, joyously shouting.

Hu’s mother saw that work had already begun and couldn’t contain her joy.

Seeing her daughter washing vegetables, she hurried over to take them and insisted, “Let me wash them. You take a break.”

Shuiqing hadn’t expected Hu’s mother and Hu Wenhua to come along. She asked, “Mom, what about Dad at home?”

“He’s a grown man. There’s grain, eggs, and meat at home. Could he starve?” Hu’s mother replied nonchalantly.

In fact, her husband was more anxious than she was and had been urging them to come over.

Upon hearing that their daughter was really going to build a brick-and-tile house, he was so delighted at home that he wanted to follow them.

Afraid her daughter would worry, Hu’s mother added, “If you’re worried, your father will catch a little piglet and bring it to you if he doesn’t slaughter pigs.”

Hu Wenhua laughed heartily and said, “Sis, rest assured. Mom and I will help you, so you can be more relaxed.”

“Mom, you can’t just start working as soon as you come. You and my brother should go and see over there first,” Shuiqing said, looking at her mother’s hair, mingled with white, with pity.

“It’s okay for mom to rest at home, just come here for activities,” Hu’s mother thought about doing more so her daughter could rest for a while.