Chapter 394

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Protagonist:

Chai Mi

"Everyone wash your hands, come inside and eat! The food's still hot!" Su Wan, wearing an apron around her waist, stood at the doorway of the main hall, calling everyone to eat.

Liu Chengjie and Liu Chenglei, the two brothers, were washing the dust off their arms and necks with a splash at the pressurized well in the courtyard, water droplets mixing with sweat and rolling down.

Chai Youqing leaned wearily against the door frame, panting, rubbing his lower back.

Da Zhi, on the other hand, efficiently checked the tractor tires, ensuring they could still run in the afternoon.

The not-large main hall was packed full.

Two square tables were pushed together, and there weren't any particularly fancy dishes, mainly pork stew, more meat than vegetables, practical and filling.

Chai Youqing picked up his small wine cup, his voice carrying relaxation after fatigue: "Today everyone put in great effort, especially Chengjie and Chenglei, you two brothers, moving those stones so nimbly! Da Zhi driving steady too. Come, let me toast everyone first!" He said this, tilted his head back, and downed a big mouthful, the burn making him grimace.

Liu Chengjie laughed heartily, grabbed a steamed bun and took a fierce bite: "What's there to be polite about, Uncle! Building a study for Xiu'er to study in, that's a good deed accumulating virtue and blessings! We brothers have nothing else, just a pair of strong arms! Right, Chenglei?" He elbowed his younger brother beside him, his mouth stuffed full.

Liu Chenglei ate a few mouthfuls of vegetables with his head down, nodded: "Mm, just get the work done efficiently." He picked up the teacup holding wine, clinked it with Chai Youqing, and also downed a big mouthful, his eating speed not slowing at all.

Da Zhi wiped the oil from his mouth, picked up his bowl: "Chai Mi arranged things clearly, I just need to manage this tractor well, let it run a few more trips. Hauling stones, this job went smoother than I thought. That waste quarry's stones are really good, sturdy!" He also clinked bowls with Chai Youqing, drinking heartily.

Chai Mi didn't touch her wine bowl much, eating rice in small bites: "Thanks for the hard work, everyone. The foundation stones and roof purlins are all ready, my mind's at ease more than half. This afternoon will be hard on Da Zhi, we have to go to Dongwa Brick Factory to haul bricks back. Materials all prepared, the day after tomorrow, October 16th, Master Zhu Shukun and them come to start work, won't delay."

Liu Chengjie swallowed the meat in his mouth, slapped his thigh: "Hauling bricks? What's there to say! After eating, us brothers will go with Da Zhi! More people, loading and unloading faster! Right, Chenglei?"

Liu Chenglei nodded, concise: "Mm."

Da Zhi said happily: "That's great! With Big Bro and Second Bro lending a hand, we can haul several more trips in one afternoon! That brick factory has a stockpile, Uncle Liu Guangcai can't wait for us to haul it away fast."

Song Qingshan slowly sipped his wine, said to Chai Mi: "Chai Mi arranged it steady. Purlins are settled too, Old Wang's an honest man, materials indeed good. Afternoon hauling bricks, more people more strength."

Song Qiushui looked at Chai Mi with bright shining eyes, then at the meat on the table: "Chai Mi, what can I do this afternoon? Watching you all work makes me anxious."

Chai Mi picked up a piece of meat for her, tone gentle: "You, just go pick up Xiu'er after school when the time comes."

Su Wan agreed: "Don't worry, it's all remembered. You all be careful hauling bricks this afternoon, just don't bump into anything."

Lunch was eaten very fast.

The men all did heavy physical labor, eating and drinking with a wind-swept-clouds vigor.

Alcohol was just to relieve fatigue and boost energy, no one overindulged, everyone knew heavier work waited in the afternoon.

In under twenty minutes, the dishes and rice bowls on the table hit bottom.

Bowls set down, the Liu Chengjie brothers wiped their mouths and stood up.

Liu Chengjie full of spirit: "Da Zhi, let's go! Warm up the truck! Chenglei, find a few pairs of gloves, there should be brick tongs over there, handling bricks ruins hands!"

Liu Chenglei was already rummaging in the corner: "Mm."

Da Zhi grabbed the keys: "Good! Uncle, Chai Mi, we leaving now?"

Chai Mi wanted them to rest a bit, but they felt the afternoon work was heavier, better to get moving early.

So Chai Mi and Chai Youqing, Da Zhi and the others, rode the tractor heading toward Dongwa Brick Factory.

Arriving at the brick factory, Uncle Liu Guangcai was indeed waiting early. Seeing four strong laborers arrive at once, he was so happy he kept rubbing his hands.

Liu Guangcai pointed at the neatly stacked red bricks like small hills: "Chai Mi, bricks are all here, twenty thousand pieces, only more not less! Your helpers are solid!"

Chai Mi nodded, to everyone: "Uncle Guangcai, thanks for getting people to watch over them. Big Bro, Second Bro, Da Zhi, just like we said on the road, load carefully, stack neatly, don't let them break from bouncing. Dad, you follow Uncle Guangcai, he counts a batch, you record a batch."

The first truck loaded full quickly, stacked neat and tidy. Da Zhi jumped onto the driver's seat, the tractor roared away from the brick factory.

The haul back wasn't short. Arriving at the Chai Family courtyard, it was unloading again.

Liu Chengjie brothers took the lead, Da Zhi and Song Qingshan who came out hearing the noise also lent a hand, bricks unloaded piece by piece, stacked on the open ground reserved beside the old sheep pen site.

Su Wan hurried to boil water again.

When Chai Mi rushed back, the first truck of bricks was already half unloaded.

Su Wan came out holding hot water: "Quick, rest a bit, drink some water!"

Liu Chengjie took the bowl and gulped it down, wiped his mouth: "Auntie, no rest! While it's early, one more trip is one more trip! Chenglei, let's go!" Setting down the bowl, he jumped onto the tractor bucket that had just finished unloading.

Da Zhi panting, also downed a bowl of water: "Big Bro... you guys... your stamina is too beastly..."

Liu Chenglei already sitting in the bucket, patted the spot beside him: "Get on."

Second truck, third truck... time flew by in the repetitive loading, bouncing, unloading.

When the sixth truck of bricks finally stopped steadily at the courtyard gate in the gradually thickening dusk, the sky had already turned completely dark.

Everyone was exhausted nearly to collapse, leaning on the tractor, brick piles, or walls, gasping for breath, almost no strength left to speak.

In the main hall, Su Wan and Song Qiushui had already prepared dinner even more lavish. Besides reheating the noon stew and adding vermicelli, pickles, steamed buns, they specially fried a few eggs, sliced a plate of cured sausage, and heated a big pot of wine.

The aroma of food and drink was exceptionally tempting in the fatigued night.

Everyone dragging lead-heavy legs, hastily washed their faces, then couldn't wait to sit around the table. This time, the atmosphere was completely different from noon.

Su Wan looked at everyone with heartache: "Eat up eat up, all worn out right? Plenty of meat, wine heated too, everyone eat and drink well to recover!"

Chai Mi raised her teacup: "Today truly thanks to all you uncles and brothers helping! Without you, me and my mom would be worried to death just watching these bricks! Especially Big Bro, Second Bro, Da Zhi, you three are the main force, bones nearly worn apart. I'll use tea instead of wine to toast you! And toast Uncle Qingshan, and Qiushui and Xiu'er busy front and back! Building this house is for Xiu'er to study, this kindness, I Chai Mi will remember in my heart!"

Liu Chengjie raised his bowl boldly, voice much louder: "Little sister, those words are too polite! Fellow villagers, lending a hand is nothing!"

Liu Chenglei also raised his bowl, gestured to Chai Mi: "Mm, done." Downed it in one go same as before.

Da Zhi's fatigue flushed away by the alcohol, also got excited: "Chai Mi toasting, must drink! Today though exhausted flat, but satisfying! Big Bro Second Bro, admire! I'll drink!" He also forced down a bowl of wine.

Song Qiushui served Xiu'er food, quietly said to Xiu'er: "Look, my dad and them starting again... men drink and love to brag..."

Several bowls of steaming hot stew down the belly, several gulps of burning knife liquor down the throat, the body's fatigue seemed driven away quite a bit.

Liu Chengjie brothers truly worthy of being physical monsters, energy recovered fast too.

The two began taking turns toasting Da Zhi.

Liu Chengjie filled another bowl and raised it toward Da Zhi: "Da Zhi! You worked hard driving today! Brothers, I toast you! Bottoms up!"

Da Zhi was already a bit dizzy, but couldn't refuse the warm gesture: "Big Brother... I toast... toast you! You... you're the real Big Brother!"

Liu Chenglei said nothing, silently raised his bowl and extended it toward Da Zhi.

Da Zhi looked at Second Brother's silent but unrefusable face, wanting to cry but with no tears: "Second Brother... I... I really can't anymore..."

Liu Chengjie waved his hand: "A man can't say he can't! Bottoms up! Chenglei, you and I will each drink one with Da Zhi!" The two brothers clinked bowls, again tilted their necks to the bottom, then looked at Da Zhi together.

Da Zhi looked pleadingly at Chai Mi and Song Qingshan: "Chai Mi... Uncle Qingshan... I..."

Chai Mi endured her smile, knowing Da Zhi had reached his limit, but seeing the Liu brothers were in high spirits, she didn't want to spoil the fun too much, and advised: "Big Brother, Second Brother, Da Zhi is exhausted from driving today, let him take it easy, as long as he shows his intent."

Song Qingshan also smoothed things over: "Right, Chengjie, Da Zhi's face is all white."

Liu Chengjie was a bit tipsy: "Then... then the last bowl! Just one bowl! Da Zhi, are you brothers or not? The last bowl, give Big Brother some face! After drinking we'll rest!" He also filled Da Zhi's bowl without asking.

Da Zhi looked at the full bowl of wine before him, his face full of despair.

"Big... Big Brother... Second Brother..." Da Zhi's tongue was tied, forcing out a smile uglier than crying: "This... this is really the last bowl... agreed!"

"Agreed! Drink this bowl, and you can sleep!"

However, this bowl of wine became the last straw that broke the camel's back.

Da Zhi downed it in one gulp, forced a smile to respond, but just as his smile bloomed halfway, his eyes completely glazed over.

He tried to stand up, but his two legs were like soft-boiled noodles, completely unresponsive, and his body slid down uncontrollably.

Then he went straight under the table, overturning the table.