Chapter 401

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Protagonist:

Chai Mi

Everything went smoothly; by evening, only the front section of the outer wall remained unfinished. Chai Mi saw that she wouldn't need to build the kang herself tomorrow, so she said to Chai Youqing: "Tomorrow, you go help build the kang."

Chai Youqing blinked: "I can build it myself. Hire someone for that thing? Got money with nowhere to spend?"

Chai Mi blinked too: Uh...

"You know how to build a kang, but don't you know yourself what kind of thing you'd build? Just do what you're told."

Chai Youqing theoretically knew how to build a kang, but the technical level was especially low—once a fire was lit, it smoked.

When he lived in that house himself, it was built poorly, smoking everywhere, and he didn't know how to fix it.

Later he had Chai You De build it...

Of course, Chai You De was only slightly better than Chai Youqing; the kang just didn't smoke as much, but it was still hard to burn.

Chai Mi knew Chai Youqing's work level.

But Chai Youqing didn't know, still chattering that he could do it himself, no need to spend money...

"You're capable, huh? Lately I haven't scolded you; when I let you work, either your waist hurts or your butt hurts. When I don't let you work, you can do anything. How about tomorrow we don't let Zhu Shukun come, and you build that kang yourself? If you don't finish by dark, I'll throw you into the kang pit and bury you right there. Deal?"

Chai Youqing didn't speak.

Talking back was his nature.

But being unable to do it was also the actual situation.

Once Chai Mi got serious and made him do it, Chai Youqing would know his limits.

Early morning, noise had already risen in the courtyard. Zhu Shukun brought Master Wang and Little Zhang right on time; today's goal was clear: finish the kang in the three side rooms, and complete the outer wall plastering.

Chai Youqing kept muttering he could do it, and Zhu Shukun overheard.

Zhu Shukun had sharp ears; he heard the muttering, walked over, and patted Chai Youqing's shoulder: "Your little tricks might do for a shack you build for yourself, but for a proper house for Xiu'er to study in, we can't cut corners. Today you listen to me and learn what 'kang connected to stove, chimney bright and clear' means!"

Zhu Shukun had been in this trade for years; since childhood his family was poor, and at fifteen or sixteen he was already out doing house-building and roofing work.

Actually, the old Zhu family was truly poor in a refreshingly unworldly way at first.

How to describe it...

Zhu Shukun's old father was known in the jianghu as Zhu the Beggar...

In winter, ragged clothes and filthy food; in summer, he didn't even have clothes to wear.

It all depended on Zhu Shukun earning money himself.

This kind of rural work isn't like outside construction work where you can be good or bad.

For this rural work, he gets instant retribution.

For example, just now Zhu Shukun finished building the kang, lit a fire, and it smoked.

That person couldn't leave; not only would he get no wages, he'd have to rebuild with his own labor and materials to compensate the host family.

So to say it, Zhu Shukun's craftsmanship was something Chai Youqing couldn't even touch.

Chai Youqing was left speechless, and could only reply listlessly: "Yes, I understand, Aunt's Husband, whatever you say I'll do."

Chai Youqing said that with his mouth, but in his heart he grumbled: The daughter has money to burn; why not save this wage to buy something?

Chai Mi changed into her old stall clothes, and Song Qiushui also came carrying her cloth bag for loose change and household items.

Chai Mi handed a large basin of dumplings that Yao Lianhua and Song Qiushui had wrapped together last night to Song Qiushui, and taking the key to the Inverted Donkey, she went out.

"Mom, we'll manage the stall and be back soon." Chai Mi looked at Chai Youqing with a strange gaze: "I'm telling you, you'd better listen to Aunt's Husband's directions; if this kang isn't built well and has to be redone, the wage and material costs will be deducted from your lunch."

Chai Mi knew her old man's character; if you didn't scare him, he'd push his luck.

With this kind of person, you can't negotiate, because nothing can be negotiated at all.

Sure enough, when Chai Youqing heard Chai Mi threaten him, he hurriedly expressed his stance: "Don't worry, don't worry! I'll definitely learn well and work well!"

Su Wan nodded: "Go, show your face at the stall and come back soon; don't tire yourself out. I'll watch the house."

Chai Mi and Song Qiushui pushed the familiar Inverted Donkey out the door.

At the old place they set up the stall and lit the stove fire.

The familiar dumpling aroma wafted out, and immediately several old regulars gathered around.

"Ay! Boss, finally see you setting up the stall! I thought you weren't doing this business anymore!"

"Right, right, haven't eaten this for several days, craving it badly!"

"Today we need to buy more; give me two portions!"

Chai Mi nimbly dropped the dumplings, with an apologetic smile on her face: "Sorry everyone, the family is building a house, I really can't get away, busy as can be. Today I squeezed in a trip to let everyone know my stall is still here, not closed. I didn't prepare much; sold out and I'll close; next time I'll definitely prepare more!"

Hearing there wasn't much, the customers who originally wanted to chatter didn't say much more, and hurriedly paid.

Before ten o'clock, the dumplings they brought were sold out. Chai Mi tidied up her things and greeted the regulars still looking around: "Sorry everyone, really none left today! Tomorrow! Tomorrow I'll definitely prepare more!"

The two finished tidying up and rode the Inverted Donkey back. Song Qiushui stretched: "Ay, finally done. This showing face is more tiring than really working a day, afraid someone would make trouble."

"Mm, we have to let people know we're still working." Chai Mi nodded, "Hurry back and see how the kang is built. My father doesn't work, just likes to chatter, making it so others can't work either..."

Chai Family Small Courtyard.

The atmosphere in the courtyard at this moment was completely different from when Chai Mi left.

Zhu Shukun was indeed skilled at building kangs. He directed Chai Youqing and Master Wang to first lay out the outline of the kang pit and the path of the flue with bricks on the floor inside the room. Where to leave the ash pit (the space at the bottom of the kang pit to receive ashes; the size of this is somewhat particular, of course, the bigger the better. In novels, what they call 'zhu hui' refers to the ash here.), where the main flue was, where it branched, and what slope was needed—he explained it all clearly.

Chai Youqing was driven around in circles, carrying bricks, passing blocks, mixing clay, filling gaps. This was the first time in his life he participated in building a kang so properly; before, he either figured it out himself or watched others do it roughly.

Zhu Shukun had high standards; anything not up to code had to be redone, leaving him with a sore back and aching waist, drenched in sweat, not daring to complain out loud but bitterly suffering in his heart. Master Wang occasionally helped, but was mainly busy with the final touches on the outer wall plastering.

Su Wan was preparing lunch in the kitchen, occasionally poking her head out to check the progress.

Just then, a timid figure appeared at the courtyard gate. A young woman of about twenty, wearing half-worn floral cloth clothes, her frame looking somewhat slight, face pale, her brow and eyes heavy with deep worry and exhaustion — it was precisely Chai Mi's Aunt Chai Chunfang's daughter — Sun Shengyue.

She carried a small bundle in her hand, standing at the gate, looking at the busy scene in the courtyard and the unfamiliar workers, somewhat at a loss, hesitating and not daring to enter.

Su Wan came out carrying a basin to pour water, caught sight of her at a glance, froze for a moment, then a complex expression surfaced on her face — there was surprise, and also a few degrees of hard-to-detect alienation: "Shengyue? You... how come you're here?"

Chai Chunfang had died unexpectedly in that turmoil at the old house; though the two families hadn't completely torn faces, the relationship had also dropped to freezing point, almost cutting off contact. Sun Shengyue appearing at this time was too unusual.

Seeing Su Wan, Sun Shengyue's eye rims instantly reddened, her lips trembling, voice fine as a mosquito's hum: "Aunt... where's my Uncle..."

She seemed to find it hard to speak, her gaze flusteredly sweeping across the courtyard, finally landing on Chai Youqing who was currently sticking his butt out plastering mud on the kang hole, as if she had grabbed a life-saving straw, "I'm looking for my Uncle..."

Chai Youqing was being instructed by Zhu Shukun on plastering mud at the chimney base, covered in dust and dirt, and when he looked up and saw Sun Shengyue, he was also dumbfounded: "Shengyue? How'd you run over here?"

He subconsciously straightened his waist, his hands still stained with mud slurry, a face full of astonishment.

Toward this daughter Chai Chunfang left behind, his feelings were complex. Chai Chunfang was gone, the two families had also quarreled unpleasantly, this sudden visit...

Sun Shengyue's tears could no longer be held back, "pat pat pat" they fell down, she shuffled forward two steps, carrying a sobbing tone.

"Uncle... Aunt... I... I have nowhere to go... I... I'm pregnant..."

"Pregnant?" Chai Youqing didn't react for a moment, blankly repeating the word.

Su Wan, however, was someone who had been through it; her gaze subconsciously fell on Sun Shengyue's lower abdomen, which despite wearing thick clothes still showed a slight unnatural curve, and her face color changed slightly.

Chai Mi and Song Qiushui, who had just pushed the Inverted Donkey into the courtyard gate, happened to see this scene and hear this sentence clearly.

Both of them also froze.

The air in the courtyard seemed to freeze instantly.

Zhu Shukun and Master Wang were both outsiders; seeing the situation, they immediately tactfully lowered their heads, pretending to concentrate on the work in their hands, but their ears were perked up.

Song Qiushui covered her mouth in surprise, eyes staring round, looking at Sun Shengyue, then at Chai Mi.

Chai Mi was also a bit stunned.

"You... you're muddleheaded." Chai Youqing rarely spoke with displeasure.

Chai Mi sighed: "Let's go inside and talk..."

But, actually, Chai Mi didn't have a shred of feeling for Sun Shengyue.

In the previous life the two had little contact; this life it was even more so because Chai Chunfang died, causing the two families' relationship to be very tense.

Although Chai Mi attended Chai Chunfang's funeral, she didn't genuinely cry.

Chai Mi just didn't want a crowd today, didn't want to delay everyone working.

After all, they're all fucking watching the excitement, no one working but I still have to pay...

Thinking about it is a fucking loss!!!