Chapter 31: No Problem

Even though Jiang Youcheng suddenly had a lot of money, he was reluctant to dine at a fancy restaurant in the county town. Instead, he found a bustling little eatery on a small street and ordered a few hearty dishes.

Braised fish, braised pork trotters, Kung Pao chicken, and, of course, steamed rice, with the option for free refills.

The eatery was not large, and the furniture seemed a bit worn and basic. However, being an old and renowned establishment, the chef’s skills were excellent, and the dishes were rich and flavorful.

These kinds of dishes were perfect for rural folks who didn’t frequently indulge in meat.

From the moment Jiang Youcheng sat down and took his first bite, he continuously praised the chef’s exceptional skills, having done so for the fourth time already.

His son-in-law, Song Jingyun, was also thoroughly enjoying the meal, with sauce smudged at the corners of his mouth, too preoccupied with eating to bother wiping it off.

However, Jiang Mixia was facing a dilemma.

Although she enjoyed meat, the three dishes were all heavily sauced meat dishes, making the meal a bit rich for her taste. After picking at half a bowl of rice, she asked, “Father, we don’t have any green leafy vegetables on the table…”

“But we do, right here,” Jiang Youcheng picked up a sprig of coriander from the braised fish and placed it on top, “Plenty of green, isn’t it?”

Jiang Mixia: “…”

It was indeed green and had leaves. Overall, no problem!

After a short while, the three dishes were devoured, and the rice was replenished three or four times. When settling the bill, Jiang Youcheng also took a portion of lotus leaf chicken to bring back home for Liu shi to enjoy.

Leaving the eatery, Jiang Youcheng still had his string bag with him. It was something he could sell when he had the chance.

Feeling uneasy about carrying the large sum of money from selling the pearls, he decided not to linger in the county town and promptly rented a cart to head home.

Upon arriving home and learning about the substantial amount earned from selling the pearls, Liu shi was overjoyed.

For dinner, she specially prepared tomato and egg drop soup, minced pork with tofu, lotus leaf chicken, cucumber salad, and steamed scallion rolls with a fluffy and fragrant texture.

The scallion rolls were exceptionally fragrant, and Song Jingyun ended up eating three large ones.

“You seem to have quite the appetite,” Jiang Mixia teased.

“You said that eating more would make me stronger, so I have to eat a lot,” Song Jingyun earnestly responded.

Jiang Mixia: “…”

No problem!

It was evident that her husband had indeed visibly become stronger.

If he was once thin and frail, now…

Well, he’s probably in the middle of lean and plump.

The next day, Jiang Youcheng and Liu shi summoned Jiang Mixia and Song Jingyun to discuss renovating the house. Jiang Youcheng’s idea was to refurbish the roof of the two existing rooms and build two additional rooms, also constructing a courtyard wall.

Jiang Mixia pondered for a moment and said, “These two rooms have been standing for a long time. They were originally built with green bricks mixed with mud bricks. The exterior green bricks have weathered and are starting to crumble. Even if we renovate the roof now, the walls will likely cause problems sooner rather than later.”

“Since we’re building new rooms, it might be better to just knock down the old ones and build new ones. We could build three rooms facing north to south, with the east and west rooms connected by a central hall. To the east, we can have two rooms, one as a bedroom and the other as a kitchen. To the west, we could build two rooms, a bedroom and a spare cowshed. Then we’ll add a courtyard wall and a main gate, and that should do.”

“Building a house is already quite a task, so it might be better to do it all at once. It saves us from having to rebuild again later, including breaking ground, calling for help, and going through the same process again.”

The tea plantation provided a steady income, and with occasional visits to the market, they could manage to save up. As per Jiang Mixia’s estimate, renovating these old green brick and tile houses and furnishing them would cost around ten taels of silver, a sum their household could afford.

As Jiang Mixia pointed out, it was indeed a lot of work, but once it was done, they would have a comfortable place to live, with extra rooms for storage—a considerable advantage for a rural household. Additionally, it would be convenient for any future children that Jiang Mixia and Song Jingyun might have.

However…

Liu shi hesitated, “If we demolish the old house to build a new one, where will we live during the construction?”

Although it was summer, sleeping in the courtyard for coolness was common. Their family could manage, but it would be inconvenient during rainy days, and they couldn’t always seek shelter in others’ homes.

“It’s simple. Our yard is large. While building the new house, we’ll construct it in front of our current one. We’ll leave a space for the old house to serve as an entrance. Once the new house is completed, we’ll enclose the old house within the courtyard wall and then demolish it, creating a backyard.”

“We can turn the old space into a chicken coop or pigsty. We’ll separate it from the front yard, and with regular tidying, it won’t look messy or smell bad,” Jiang Mixia suggested.

“That’s a good plan. It won’t cause any delays,” Jiang Youcheng nodded.

“Exactly. Our land is limited, so raising a few more chickens and a piglet will bring in extra income,” Liu shi agreed.

If the family became financially comfortable, they could choose to keep the eggs and pork for themselves, saving on everyday expenses.

As for feeding the chickens and pigs, if there wasn’t enough feed, they could be resourceful, foraging for wild vegetables and gathering pigweed.

After discussing with the family, they decided to proceed with Jiang Mixia’s proposal.

Once the decision was made, they didn’t want to delay further. In the afternoon, Jiang Youcheng sought out his older brother, Jiang Youfu, to discuss the house construction.

Jiang Youfu was ten years older than Jiang Youcheng and had practically watched him grow up. After their father’s passing, he had taken on the role of a father figure.

Jiang Youfu managed the third household, and Jiang Youcheng was willing to consult him about many matters. Building a new house was a significant undertaking, and they needed to handle every aspect carefully to avoid any mishaps. Additionally, having more people involved would help avoid mistakes.

After a lengthy discussion between the two brothers, they sought the advice of Jiang Zhengxin, asking him to oversee the project.

Jiang Zhengxin was responsible for managing the village’s taxes, household registrations, and various other matters, and he managed them all efficiently. He was also not one to shirk responsibilities. Given Jiang Youcheng’s family’s good reputation and their honest nature, Jiang Zhengxin was more than willing to help out.

With Jiang Zhengxin’s assistance, the preparations for building the new house began in earnest.

They drafted simple house plans, sought help from villagers, and hired additional hands from neighboring villages when necessary. They commenced digging foundations, procuring green bricks, timber, and tiles, and purchasing sand and lime.