When the courtyard was built, the Li family and the Marquis's courtyard shared the central courtyard wall.
However, the Wen family left a five-zhang-wide open space in the middle, in case the population couldn't fit in the house later and they had to add more buildings.
Now the Wen family only has one more baby, Crescent Moon, while the Li family simply can't fit any more people in...
Therefore, Tao Hongying planned to occupy this land and build a row of west-facing houses, which would provide at least a dozen rooms, enough to accommodate the new staff.
Madam Wen treated the Li family like her own in-laws, so she didn't care about such a small matter and agreed on the spot.
Even when Tao Hongying offered her two hundred taels of silver, she resolutely refused to accept it.
After all, the Li family helped build their courtyard, and the open space was also reserved by the Li family.
With that, the matter was settled.
It just so happens that at this time of year, the fruits on the mountain have all been picked, and the radishes and cabbages in the fields can last for another half a month.
When the village chief and Uncle Zhao heard that the Li family wanted to build an extension to their house, they quickly led the villagers to take action.
When the village heads of Dawangzhuang, Xiaowangzhuang, and Dahuaishu Village heard about this, they wanted to send people to help, but the village chiefs politely declined.
There are still people outside eyeing the Li family covetously. If bad people manage to sneak in, it would be a huge loss.
Leaving aside the fact that the Li family has once again embarked on a massive infrastructure construction project, let's just talk about this day in the study in the front courtyard of the Wang family. Wang Zechen sat at the table drinking tea, his brows furrowed like a lump of iron.
He picked up the teacup several times, but put it down again, his mind and spirits were extremely agitated.
Across from him sat a thin man in a gray, quilted long gown, who seemed like a shadow, drawing the eye even as the late autumn sun began to set…
Wang Zechen couldn't contain himself and asked in a low voice, "Second brother, the Wu family's first attempt failed. When do you think they'll launch a second one?"
Indeed, this thin man in gray is none other than Wang Zekun, the second master of the Wang family.
He smiled faintly, his expression somewhat sinister, and said, "Brother, why are you in such a hurry to sit on the sidelines and watch the tigers fight? You can't be without patience."
Wang Zechen disliked his younger brother's behavior the most, as if everyone else was stupid and that only he himself was superior and in control of everything.
He grew impatient and, not wanting to get angry anymore, kindly reminded him, "I know you always think my methods are clumsy and that I can't beat those peasants from the Li family."
"But I still want to remind you that the Li family's rise from refugees to a wealthy family is definitely not entirely due to good luck."
"Don't underestimate the Li family. They thought they had the victory in their grasp, but in the end, they were completely fooled by them."
Wang Zekun replied in the same ambiguous tone, "Don't worry, brother. With your example as a precedent, how could I not be careful!"
"You!" Wang Zechen was so angry that steam was practically rising from his head.
Before he could say anything more, a servant knocked on the door and hurriedly brought in an official document. "Master, an official document from the Ministry of Personnel has been delivered to your residence."
Official documents of the Ministry of Personnel
Wang Zechen and Wang Zekun stopped arguing, their eyes filled with confusion.
Wang Zechen did his job well, with no faults to be found, so it was impossible for him to be suddenly transferred or dismissed.
Wang Zekun even took sick leave. He wouldn't get a new job unless he went to cancel his leave or used personal connections...
The two brothers quickly opened the official document, and after reading it, Wang Zekun's face turned ashen.
Although Wang Zechen also frowned, seeing his younger brother's expression, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction and said, "The Li family has never been underestimated. You didn't believe me? Now you know."
"They forced you out of the shadows and into the open with one move. You don't have to hide anymore; you can go out freely now."
Wang Zekun threw Guan Wen away, and Guan Wen unfolded and slumped on the table.
Without needing to cancel his leave or pull strings, he got a new official position: a physician under the Ministry of Works, where he would lead craftsmen in researching new agricultural tools...
His mind raced, and he quickly figured it out, then sneered, "I must say, the Li family is indeed quite capable."
"They actually managed to get the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Works to act simultaneously and put me in some godforsaken little government office!"
"But why is my eldest brother so happy? I am a member of the Wang family. I have schemed and plotted to avenge my third brother and to support the Wang family!"
"If my scheme fails, my elder brother, the eldest son of the Wang family, won't benefit from it either."
Wang Zechen was momentarily speechless, but eventually shut up.
Wang Zechen snorted coldly, poured himself another cup of tea, and said, "The Li family's first move was to dig me out, not to send someone to kill me, which means they intend to confront me head-on."
"That's fine too, because the Wu family and the Empress are ahead of me in the rankings, so I still have time to rearrange things. It's just a matter of turning a hidden pawn into a visible one!"
Seeing that his younger brother had returned to his original appearance, Wang Zechen became impatient and left after making an excuse.
Wang Zekun remained silent for a long time before smashing the teacup in his hand.
The transition from darkness to light was not as easy as he had described; it nearly ruined all his subsequent plans.
But thinking of a certain helper, he felt a little more confident...
Three or four days passed in the blink of an eye. At the small construction site east of the Li family's house, a few words gathered all the old and young men in the village.
The weather in early September of the lunar calendar is chilly in the mornings and evenings, but still somewhat warm during the day.
It gets even hotter when you're working.
So, many men took off their padded jackets, wearing only their undershirts, and carried logs and stones back and forth, working enthusiastically.
As the sun reached its zenith, the village chief waved his pipe and called out to everyone, "Everyone, take a break, wash your hands, and we'll eat soon."
Upon hearing the sound, everyone quickly gathered up what they were doing, put on their padded jackets, and chatted and laughed as they gathered together.
Some teenagers had already carried hot water and placed it in the makeshift thatched shed.
The village chief invited several master chefs to wash their hands and then sit down at the table to drink tea.
After the rest of the villagers had washed their hands, maids and servants brought over a large earthenware basin.
The earthenware pot contained two main dishes: braised chicken with mushrooms and braised pork with potatoes. The staple food was steamed white flour buns.
Each villager had a large bowl, filled it with vegetables, and took a few steamed buns. They quickly ate until their mouths were greasy.
Six dishes and a bowl of white rice were also laid out on the wooden table.
The village chief and several chefs also started eating!
One of the workers, who loved to joke, said, "Brother Wu, what we look forward to most is working for your village."
"Putting everything else aside, we all get along well and don't nitpick, so we can do our job comfortably."
"The most important thing is that the food is so good. It's only been a few days, and my wife already says I've gained weight."
The other craftsmen echoed this sentiment.
"Yes, Brother Wu, if there's any work in the village in the future, please call us again. We don't need wages, just meals will do."
"After eating our family's food, everyone who goes home thinks my wife's cooking is only good enough to feed pigs."
The village chief chuckled and urged everyone to eat more.
"Haha, everyone, eat as much as you like. Speaking of which, I'm actually planning to have you come to our village more often in the future."
"Two years ago, five or six young men in our village got married, and now another batch has grown up and they're going to continue getting married!"
"But every house is too small to fit everyone. I'm afraid that many houses will need to be built in the village next spring!"
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