The next morning, half the village was talking about Qiu Yu's stewed pig's trotters with soybeans, a dish that everyone craved.

Inside the dilapidated house, Qiuyu rolled out noodles and cooked them in yesterday's bone broth. They tasted good.

Xiao Heran's bowl was bigger than his face, and he buried his head in it, eating with great concentration.

After dinner, my son likes to stick together with Qiuyu.

Qiu Yu gave her a hug and said, "Alright, go play." Her son used to be quite independent. Now, she didn't know what was wrong with him; he was much more spoiled than before, always wanting to be carried.

Xiao Heran said, "Then I'm going to play." Now that the dog is leading them around, the little guy is going crazy with fun, running all over the village, and you can hear the children's laughter everywhere.

After He Ran left, He Zifeng also hugged Qiu Yu and leaned on his shoulder, just like his son.

It's good to be separated from the family; I can be close to my wife anytime.

Qiu Yu gently pushed He Zifeng, without using any force, and said, "Stop fooling around."

He Zifeng didn't let go of him; instead, he pressed even closer. He even kissed Qiu Yu's ear, saying, "You slept in our son's crib yesterday," his tone slightly displeased.

Qiu Yu didn't see her own face, but she could feel her cheeks burning: "I'll let you get a good night's sleep." After all, she had worked hard at her stall yesterday.

He Zifeng turned his head to the side and said, "I can't sleep without you. Don't do this again next time."

The two were so close that they spoke in hushed tones, and Qiu Yu softly agreed. Only then did He Zifeng give up.

Qiu Yu also changed into new clothes and took the other fabrics with her, planning to make another set of clothes for her son, and two more sets of cotton-padded jackets. She wanted to make several more outfits for him. These were all good fabrics they had saved from when they were reselling scraps of cloth.

As soon as Qiu Yu stepped outside, he was surrounded by people asking if he would sell stewed pig's trotters later. Many people in the village run businesses. There's a radish cake maker in the next village; she sells it once a month on the first day, and if you want a lot, you have to pre-order. Even someone like Sister Liu, who has sewing skills, can earn a little money.

Yesterday, many people were eating Qiu Yu's cooking for the first time, and they couldn't stop thinking about it, wishing they could have it a second time right away.

Qiu Yu said, "Let's talk about it later. We can only buy so many pig trotters at the market."

Those around could only look away in disappointment. He was right; a pig only has four trotters. They wouldn't slaughter so many unless it was a festival.

Seeing that Qiuyu wanted to go to Sister Liu to have clothes made, they didn't stop him.

A few villagers gathered together and started talking. One said, "Look how pretty Qiuyu looks dressed up a little better."

"That's right. Xu Li isn't as good-looking as Qiu Yu. It's just a pity he doesn't have a good father, otherwise he would have had a different fate."

“He Zifeng is quite hardworking now. I heard from Village Chief Liu that he’s going to introduce He Zifeng to work for his brother-in-law.” His brother-in-law is known for being very generous, paying thirty coins a day and getting paid on the same day.

"Oh, that's really good," several people said.

"I heard that He Zifeng and Qiu Yu ate some pig's trotters, and the He family's old mansion was cursing half the night!"

"Why are you so envious and full? They can't buy whatever they want to eat..."

Qiu Yu went to Aunt Liu's place, and Aunt Liu told Qiu Yu what the He family had said that made them angry. It was because they distributed the pig's trotters to each household but didn't give any to the He family's old house, that they lost face.

Qiu Yu said, "I would rather feed the food to the dogs than give it to them. Even though we have separated our families, the thought of my son being bullied by them for so long makes me wish I could... give them food again, but that's just a dream."

Sister Liu said, "Don't pay them any attention, they're not thinking straight. Before, no one in the village knew you were living like this, but now that they do, everyone's cursing them. You and He Zifeng are both hardworking people, and you only have one son, so you won't have to worry about making a living!"

Qiu Yu said, "Okay." Then she said to Sister Liu, "Please find someone to sew the cotton-padded jacket for me." She then took out fifty coins as a deposit, and would give him the remaining fifty coins after the job was done. There were many things to be done this time, and winter clothes were troublesome to make, so it was better to order them early to avoid having nothing to wear later.

Sister Liu smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'll make sure it looks beautiful for your family of three!"

Qiu Yu thanked Sister Liu before heading back, and on her way there she saw He Zifeng. He Zifeng said, "Village Chief Liu asked me to come over now; his brother-in-law is back."

Qiu Yu was a little reluctant. Building a house was hard work, and there were some dangers involved. Just a few days ago, she heard that a strong man in the next village had his leg broken while building a house. She had sent He Zifeng out to work before because the family had no other choice. But now that they had a little money, she didn't want him to work so hard.

Qiu Yu tugged at his collar and said, "Can you not go?"

He Zifeng said, "We still need to save that little money for building a house and sending our son to school." Then, looking at Qiu Yu, he said, "I found out she's working in the next village and will be back tonight." Unlike when she goes out to work, she won't be gone for ten days or half a month at a time.

Qiu Yu said, "Then I'll wait for you to have dinner."

He Zifeng said, "Don't wait for me. Even if I get back, it will be late at night."

Qiu Yu said, "I'll come back after work."

"Okay." He Zifeng had to go report to the village chief's brother-in-law, so he said a few words in a hurry and left.

When he arrived, both the village chief of Liuzi and his brother-in-law were there. His brother-in-law was short, stout, and dark-skinned, and called Brother Quan. He had a sturdy appearance. He said, "Come with me. I'm short-handed right now." Then he waved to the village chief of Liuzi and said, "Brother-in-law, see you later."

The village chief nodded and waved to the two of them.

Then Quan took him to the next village. He had a horse-drawn carriage that he used to haul goods. This time, He Zifeng rode in the carriage while Quan drove.

He Zifeng asked, "How many people are building houses now?"

Brother Quan laughed, "Yes, a lot. They've all made some money outside." He has thirty men working in the county town. He personally oversees the work in the villages and has also assembled a team of twenty. They take on jobs in various villages, earning money from both sides without neglecting either.

He Zifeng said, "How much would it cost to build a house now?" He was still living in a wooden house, which had been abandoned for many years and was no longer habitable. He would have to rebuild his house sooner or later.

Quan Ge said, "It depends on what kind of house you want to build. Ten taels can build a two-room tiled house. If you want to build a four-room tiled house plus a courtyard wall, it will cost at least twenty taels. If you replace all the bricks with blue bricks, it will cost twenty-five taels." These are the common types in the countryside. Liu Zi said, "If you want us to do the work, we'll provide both labor and materials. Once we pay you, we can just wait to move into our new house."

There are also those who buy materials and hire a few young men from the village to build it themselves, but this is a specialized field, and what they do themselves just can't compare to the beauty and grandeur of what the others do, and the materials aren't as good either.

Years ago, people used to build their own houses, but now everyone hires someone to build them—it's less hassle and more prestigious. Plus, building a house only takes about thirty days. From laying the foundation to installing the roof beams, the process is absolutely flawless.

The two traveled faster by horse-drawn carriage and arrived quickly. As soon as they reached the next village, they saw a group of people busy building houses.

There was a group of ordinary people around, who had nothing better to do than stand around.

As soon as Brother Quan arrived, all the workers stopped what they were doing. He said, "This is He Zifeng, a well-known and capable man in our village. Old Lin, you take him under your wing."

"Yes." A dark-skinned man stepped out from the crowd.

He Zifeng noticed that there was one person among them who was looking at him with displeasure in his eyes.

There was a hint of displeasure in his eyes.

He didn't say much, and then started working. He Zifeng was strong, so he helped carry wood and use a small cart to carry stones and sand. These things looked light, but handling them even slightly could make a person grimace.

But He Zifeng found the physically demanding jobs quite easy.

"Brother Quan really knows how to find people. With you here, everyone's life has become much easier."

"Young man, you've got some really solid muscles."

"Well done."

He Zifeng was a natural worker; he immediately prepared all the sand, stones, and timber. This made building the house a little faster for everyone!

It's hot these days, so we need to rest after working for a while to avoid heatstroke. He Zifeng secretly asked Old Lin, "Why does that guy always glare at me?"

Old Lin hesitated upon seeing this. The person He Zifeng pointed to was Brother Li, who had been in charge of things here since Brother Quan left. His own wages were all in Brother Li's hands, but he rarely saw such a capable young man as He Zifeng and didn't want him to be left in such an ambiguous situation. He whispered to him, "It's easier to respect the King of Hell than to deal with his underlings."

He then told He Zifeng that since Quan Ge was always busy getting supplies, he had handed over the management of the staff to Li Ge. Although the pay was given out in one lump sum, it would fluctuate by a coin or two depending on everyone's daily performance. This was a form of management; everyone was there to work, and no one wanted to have a coin or two deducted from their pay. Those who were on good terms with him worked just as hard, but earned a few more coins than others. He wielded considerable influence now!

Old Lin said, "Originally, he wanted to call his nephew over to work. His nephew is only fourteen years old. How much strength could he have? I guess Brother Quan didn't really want him, but he was too embarrassed to refuse him directly, so he brought you over instead."

He Zifeng understood. So this person thought he had taken over his nephew's job. He didn't say anything, nor did he rush over to flatter the man like others did. He would do what he could and not do what he couldn't; it wasn't a big deal.

As soon as Quan Ge settled down, he was called away by the local village chief to discuss matters, leaving all the management here to Li Ge.

He Zifeng was taken out for a walk seven or eight times a day. The people around him didn't dare to breathe loudly. Old Lin said, "Brother Li, let Little He rest." He said with a forced smile.

Brother Li snorted coldly: "Can't you even finish this little bit of work? This is a place to hire people, not a place to keep rich people. If you're not going to do it, then get out!"

Brother Li then stopped even glancing at He Zifeng.

He Zifeng laughed and said, "I quit." After saying that, he threw his things aside and walked towards Brother Li.

Perhaps the impressions from his previous life were too deep, shaping his current personality. He's capable of working, but he can't stand being wronged. Expecting him to act like a subservient servant in front of this scoundrel for thirty coins a day is a pipe dream.

Brother Li raised an eyebrow: "You've gone too far." He thought He Zifeng was just an ordinary laborer, yet he showed him no respect in front of so many people. How was he supposed to manage him in the future?

The people on the construction site are all young men. The reason why Brother Li was made the leader is because he is arrogant. Now that He Zifeng has embarrassed him, he is embarrassed and wants to teach him a lesson.

He immediately gathered a few men, all roughnecks, and said, "If anyone's not convinced, let's settle this with our fists. If we don't subdue He Zifeng today, they can forget about ever showing their faces here again."

Brother Li yelled and five or six men appeared.

Old Lin immediately sensed trouble. With so many people against one person, he feared He Zifeng would be at a disadvantage, so he went to find Brother Quan. If this group of brutes caused trouble, things might get out of control.

Upon hearing this, Quan Ge rushed back immediately. In just fifteen minutes, the entire area had collapsed. Only He Zifeng remained standing there.

The villagers loved watching the excitement, and they watched with wide eyes as the villagers gestured, afraid of missing even the slightest detail.

Then they all started telling Quan Ge how intense the fight had been.

Quan Ge was also shocked; these were all experienced workers. He Zifeng's ability to take down someone in such a short time was truly extraordinary.

They really wanted to keep He Zifeng here, but He Zifeng refused. Since he wasn't welcome here, he would just leave.

Quan knew Li's temperament; although he wanted to keep He Zifeng, he couldn't force him. He had no choice but to regretfully let He Zifeng leave. He had only been there for less than three hours, but Quan still gave him thirty coins, showing he was more considerate than his subordinates.

He Zifeng thanked him and left with the money.

After he left, everyone started complaining again while working. Before, when He Zifeng was around, their work was much easier.

Everyone had some reservations about Brother Li. He always acted like he was smart and everyone else was stupid. It's so hard to find someone who works honestly and doesn't shirk their responsibilities, and he just got rid of them! Now everyone's doing the work. He deserved to be beaten; why didn't He Zifeng kill him?

When He Zifeng returned to the village, Qiu Yu had already prepared a meal, and he could smell the aroma as soon as he entered the courtyard.

As soon as He Zifeng got home, Qiu Yu heard the noise. She came out and saw him, her eyes filled with surprise and delight: "Why are you back?"

He Zifeng said, "I'm quitting." He didn't elaborate.

Qiu Yu hadn't really wanted He Zifeng to do that kind of work before, as it was too dangerous. Seeing He Zifeng return made Qiu Yu the happiest.

He Zifeng, who was covered in dirt, said, "I'm going to take a bath in the river and I'll be back in a bit."

Qiu Yu nodded and said, "Bring Ranran back with you when you come back. This little rascal plays outside all day and doesn't want to come home."

He Zifeng laughed and said, "It's good that Ranran is a little naughty."

Qiu Yu couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Just keep spoiling him."

He Zifeng, however, said with certainty, "After all, he is my own son." After saying that, he went to take a bath.

As soon as he stepped outside, he saw several of his sisters-in-law, who were on relatively good terms with his family, saying, "We were just about to look for you, but something happened. Your uncle and the others are here."