Chapter 101
This village is 20 li away from the capital. It is nominally under the jurisdiction of the capital. If it is more than 10 li away, it is considered a different place.
"Uncle, we need to hire people to build the house next."
Yingxiang's lips moved slightly.
It's currently the busy farming season. The old man glanced at her and then said, "My sons can all do it, but they can't right now. We still have over ninety mu of farmland."
"We're not in a rush to build the house; it can be done after the autumn harvest."
Yingxiang glanced at the old man. He was dressed very well, without a single patch on his clothes. He also said that his family owned more than 90 acres of land, which must be nearby. It seemed that he was richer than the couple. Of course, there was nothing to envy about that.
They'll have it sooner or later.
In the future, Uncle Wen and the others will all be living here. After the busy farming season, most of the villagers will be idle. If we can get them to help build the house and pay them wages, it will definitely be better than hiring strangers.
"Then it's sixty-five taels. We'll build the house after my sons finish their work. Of course, it won't be enough for them, but there are many strong young men in our village who can do it."
The old man's voice wasn't quiet. Wen Shi nodded; he didn't want to look anymore, this place looked good.
"Then let's go to the government office now to transfer the property and get things done as soon as possible. I have the money with me, and you can take the household registration documents and land deeds with you."
“Alright, I’ll tell you. My second son has built houses for some high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital before. Just tell me what kind you want.”
"good."
“There are quite a few people in our village. If things go smoothly, we can build the houses in two months.”
After the old man finished speaking, he patted his chest and made a direct guarantee.
"We'll start working on it after the autumn harvest, and by the time winter comes, we should have it mostly finished."
"Anyway, it will definitely be finished by next spring."
There's no exaggeration when it comes to the saying "many hands make light work." When building a house, you need to lay a foundation, and with a large group of people, it really does happen faster.
The couple followed the old man directly to his house, which was spacious and bright with a large, clean yard where vegetables were grown and chickens were raised, creating a rural atmosphere.
“My wife’s family has come. Give them two bowls of water first. I’m going to get some things. Our two acres of dry land have been sold.”
The old man spoke with a strong voice, which showed that he was in very good health.
An old woman responded and went to the kitchen immediately. A moment later, Yingxiang and Wenshi had two bowls of water in their hands.
The two men didn't stand on ceremony. They were also thirsty and hot. After drinking some water, they waited for the old man to come out, and then the three of them took an oxcart to the nearby county town to transfer the property.
There was a small county government office here. After Wen Shi confirmed the details several times, he finally signed and sealed the document with his fingerprint.
He originally wanted to put the land in his wife's name, but Yingxiang refused.
"It will all go to the child in the future, so let's put it in your name for now, it's all the same."
The old man glanced at the two of them but said nothing. After everything was settled, Wen Shi held the new land deed and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
"How much money are you planning to spend on building your house? What kind of house do you want to build?"
"One hundred and thirty taels. A simple house with blue bricks and white tiles will do. There's no need to build one like a grand mansion. There should be twenty habitable rooms. The main house should be in the very center. Make it grand and imposing, with a large hall."
"The kitchen should be large, and there should be two outhouses and two woodsheds, one in front and one in the back. Finally, we need to set aside half an acre of open land."
The old man nodded.
“I understand. But if you have time in the future, come and talk to my son again. After the autumn harvest, you can come to my house. This year, I won’t let them go out. I will focus on helping you build your house. I will also tell everyone in the village. Don’t worry.”
One hundred taels should be enough, even for a house with blue bricks and white tiles. You have to pay for the blue bricks, tiles, and materials, but you don't need to pay for the timber, as there's plenty of it in the nearby mountains.
"Is there a carpenter in the village?"
"Yes, he is a skilled carpenter. He makes tables, chairs, and benches for everyone in our village who needs them. His father is also in the same trade, so you can rest assured."
"Alright then."
After leaving the government office, Wen Shi took the land deed and went home with his wife. The matter was settled, and they just had to wait to build the house.
They lived there as outsiders, but the laws were strict, and he was still an official, so there was no need to worry too much. They could integrate over time. On the oxcart back to the city, the couple didn't say a word.
"It's still early, I'll take you to a shop and we'll have some ice cream pancakes."
Yingxiang didn't refuse and followed Wenshi. She was really tired after running around all day, but when she finally ate the ice cream pancake, she felt all the heat in her body disappear. She ate two bowls in one go, and when she got hungry, she ate another bowl of noodles.
Around the same time, he had drunk two bowls of mung bean soup.
He was initially drawn to this new food, but after eating it a lot, he stopped liking it as much and found it too sweet.
In the evening, the couple picked up their child and went straight home.
The next day, Wen Shi ran into Yang Xun on his way to his duty at the Hanlin Academy. He told Yang Xun that his family was coming and that he would write a letter when he got back that night.
"Is it feasible to buy land and build houses?"
Yang Xun had never thought of this before and was now somewhat puzzled. He had quite a few family members, though not as many as Wen Shi's, who had four brothers.
“It’s feasible. The prices are reasonable for dry land in the suburbs, which is a bit far from the capital. Building a house there is better than buying one.”
Wen Shi was already mentally prepared. As long as he didn't live extravagantly and saved up slowly, he could buy a nice house in the capital at the age of fifty and live there. That would be a blessing from heaven. Of course, his son's future would definitely be easier.
People's family businesses don't just fall from the sky; Wen Shi is very open-minded about this.
Yingxiang was also making money, but it was all her own; Wenshi never even thought about it.
Upon hearing this, Yang Xun fell into deep thought. After a long while, he said, "That's a good idea. I'll go back and discuss it with my family. The expenses in the city are really high."
His entire family, from the elderly to the children, depended on his salary to make a living.
Copying books could supplement his income, but he was still struggling financially. He had a good relationship with Wen Shi before, and he invited Wen Shi to his home. Wen Shi also brought a gift. But he didn't dare to invite others, for fear of being laughed at.
Wen Shi's future is half set, but it's hard to say what will happen to him. Sometimes late at night, he thinks that if he is sent out to live in the county government office, although it is not as good as the capital, at least he can save on rent.
But going out is easy, coming back is too difficult. It's not a good idea to just wander around with your family like this.
Yang Xun sighed, full of confusion, and remained silent upon hearing this.
"Once the house is built, I'll invite you to come over."
"I will definitely go."
Upon arriving at the Hanlin Academy, the two parted ways immediately.
In the teahouse
Business has been good lately. After counting her money, Yingxiang looked at the small amount of tea she had left and realized it was time to restock.
In the backyard, everyone was focused on rehearsing. Right now, a storyteller was standing on the stage, telling the story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. Yingxiang had heard this story many times, but everyone seemed to never get tired of it, and the response was always very enthusiastic.
Yingxiang leaned lazily back in her chair. This winter, she planned to take people to the river to break the ice. The teahouse had a cellar, so she would store some ice and see if she could make herbal tea next summer.
Nowadays, many ordinary households store ice in this way.
More than a year has passed since Wen Shi arrived in the capital. At night, after writing a letter to his family, he naturally did not forget his teacher. With the candlelight bright, he thought for a long time, first greeting him, then telling his teacher about the things that had happened to him in the past year, mostly about his time at the Hanlin Academy, and finally inquiring about his teacher's health.
Right now, he doesn't have anything good to give his husband.
The next morning, when Wen Shi went out, he put both thick envelopes in his pocket, intending to have them delivered. He paid extra to expedite the delivery.
His family doesn't know any of this yet. Wen Xiaowu is already a student of the first level of the imperial examination. He will be taking the provincial examination this year. He missed a year last year, but he has been studying very diligently and has the notes that Wen Shi gave him before.
He read all of these and benefited greatly from them.
He originally planned to give it to his eldest brother privately, but then he thought that if his eldest brother read it and sold it, he would lose out. His third brother is now very famous in their county.
No, after thinking it over, he secretly made a copy by hand. Although the handwriting was a bit messy, it was still legible. He wanted to keep this copy for himself and give the one he made to his older brother.
They're all brothers, and there's no real grudge between them. But after reading so much, Wen Xiaowu knows that some things aren't so simple.
He didn't know where Wen Chuanzong lived, so he could only deliver it to his family's shop and have his family pass it on.
Old Man Wen solemnly put away his notebook, scolding Wen Chuanzong a few times for being heartless, and then praising Wen Shi.
He should study hard in the future and make sure he passes the exam this year, so he can be as successful as his third brother.
"Dad, don't worry, I'm confident that you and Mom can just wait to enjoy your retirement."
Hearing this, Liu was overjoyed.
"Xiao Wu, have some mung bean soup to cool off in the summer heat."
"Thank you, Mother."
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