Chapter 75: Digging a Cellar

Although the other party took the initiative to come to the door about this matter, to be honest, they were the ones who had the idea first. If Xiaohu knew about it, he would inevitably feel a little uncomfortable.

"Him? Just like usual." Sang Yongjing didn't know why she suddenly mentioned Xiaohu, and he had never thought about this.

"I'll go talk to him."

Of course, the reason why Sang Yu wanted to find Xiao Hu was not just because of this incident.

She had mentioned to Chen Yingshu before that she would bring gifts to express her gratitude, and that was not just a polite remark.

The first time someone helps you, it might be because you paid them money, or it might be because they feel they haven't taken good care of the people in the village.

If they really accept this kindness with peace of mind, they may not be able to get help from the other party when they encounter problems next time.

It is necessary to bring gifts to express gratitude. As for what to bring, she has to ask Xiaohu.

When we arrived at the gate of Xiaohu's house, the gate was open and the main door inside the house was also open, so he should be at home.

Sang Yu didn't rush in. Instead, she stood at the door and shouted towards the house, "Is Xiao Hu home?"

A response came quickly from inside: "I'm here, just come in."

After getting permission, she stepped inside, but she didn't see anyone in the main hall. She subconsciously looked to the room on the left where the sound came from. Was it in that room?

She didn't have to wait long before she heard the sound of the door next door opening and closing. Xiaohu walked into the main room while wiping the water droplets off his hands.

When he saw her, Xiaohu's signature smile appeared on his face again. He smiled and asked, "What do you want to talk to me about?"

"I'm here for something." Sang Yu stood up and bowed deeply to him. "My parents didn't handle things properly today. I want to apologize to you on their behalf."

This action was completely beyond Xiaohu's expectations. He was stunned at first, and then hurriedly helped her up: "Sister Sang, please stand up quickly."

"Besides, I've already learned everything about what happened today. It was those scoundrels who surrounded my uncle and aunt and forced their way in. What was their fault?"

Xiaohu really didn't take this matter to heart.

He works as a matchmaker and earns money by acting as a go-between. He has encountered situations where employers think it is too expensive and go straight to someone else instead of him.

What's more, today the Sang family was extorted for money by a scoundrel, so how could he be angry?

Seeing that he looked normal, Sang Yu finally felt relieved and said seriously, "Let's not talk about who is right or wrong for now. Since we agreed to let you help find someone to do the work, this kind of thing shouldn't happen."

Xiaohu felt very happy after hearing this. Being a pawnbroker is not that easy.

Both stingy and demanding employers and workers who are eager to ask for their wages before even starting work need him to connect and appease them.

He worked so hard to earn some money, but in the eyes of others, he could get the money just by talking. He had never been treated so seriously today.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Xiaohu patted his chest and assured, "Don't worry, Miss Sang, I've chosen people for your family who are honest and skilled. I will definitely not let you down."

"Thank you very much, Brother Xiaohu." The smile on Sang Yu's face deepened. What she wanted was that Xiaohu would pay attention to their family's house building.

After a few more brief conversations, Sang Yu casually mentioned the main purpose of her visit: "Thanks to Village Chief Shen's timely arrival today, my parents were not injured. I have to go and thank them."

"I should go and thank them. If Village Chief Shen hadn't gone there in person, the matter wouldn't have been resolved so easily." Xiaohu nodded approvingly.

"I don't know what Village Chief Shen likes, so I hope I don't send the wrong thing."

Since you are planning to spend money on gifts, it is best to give them something that touches the heart of the other person, otherwise the money will be wasted.

Hearing this question, Xiaohu replied naturally: "Of course it's wine. The old man loves two things the most: books and wine."

Sang Yu was puzzled: "Aren't books ranked before wine? Why not give books as a gift?"

Just by looking at Chen Yingshu's name, you can tell that her whole family loves books, so why did Xiaohu ask her to deliver wine?

Xiao Hu chuckled, "The Shen family is very rich selling oil and salt, but they have never moved into Lingnan City. Do you know why?"

"Isn't it because the ancestral property is here?"

"Of course, it's not just because of this. Their family is rich, but all the money is used to buy books. Common, uncommon, and even rare books on the market can all be found in the Shen family."

At this point, Xiaohu smiled again, and the dimples on his face were very conspicuous: "Now you understand why I gave you wine instead of books."

Sang Yu nodded. If she still didn't understand it now, her brain must be insufficient.

The Shen family has a habit of collecting books. If they want to give books as gifts, the common currency on the market is obviously not enough. They have to spend a lot of money to buy rare copies.

It was just a simple favor, and it wasn't worth spending so much money on it. It was far less cost-effective than giving her wine.

"Does Village Chief Shen have any drinking habits or preferences?" Sang Yu asked again.

Xiao Hu waved his hand: "Well, how rich can people in our village be? Usually they only buy a jar of rice wine for business purposes."

The winemaking industry back then wasn't as developed as it would be in later times. The government monopolized the production of koji, with official distilleries set up. Coupled with the liquor tax, even with private brewing, the price of liquor remained high.

The money spent on buying a pound of wine is enough to buy several pounds of grain. Most people can't afford to buy wine to drink, and only buy one or two jars to try when they have weddings or funerals.

"Yellow wine?" Sang Yu raised her eyebrows slightly. Was this the lowest-grade wine? Or was it something upper-middle class? She didn't know much about these things.

Seeing the confusion on her face, Xiao Hu realized she probably didn't understand, so he explained, "The cheapest wine is five coins per catty, and it comes in different grades. The higher the grade, the more expensive it is. Besides that, the most common is yellow rice wine, which is usually ten coins per catty."

Ten cents per pound, that’s not expensive. Sang Yu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, fortunately he could still afford it.

She asked Xiaohu about the gift-giving standards in the village, and only returned to the cliff after she had a clear idea in mind.

Seven people are still digging the foundation pit, and it is estimated that it will take at least ten days.

It’s not about how deep the foundation pit should be dug, but Sang Yu made a specific request when communicating with Carpenter Wang.

She wanted to dig a cellar in the corner of the kitchen.

The cellar space does not need to be too large, but it cannot be too small either. It should be about one-fourth the size of the kitchen and about six meters deep.

Her purpose of building the cellar was not to store vegetables for the winter like in the north.

Even in winter, the temperature in Lingnan rarely drops below zero degrees Celsius, and wild vegetables can be found in the wild.

But in the summer, the temperature in Lingnan rises rapidly, and food spoils very quickly. In such times, having a cellar at home is like having an extra low-temperature refrigerator.