Chapter 71 Jiang Dahe Apologizes to Jiang Liu; House Completed
Jiang Dahe's mind was overwhelmed by immense joy, and it took him a while to cool down.
He sensed something was wrong as the temperature dropped.
Why would Xiao Ji suddenly bring this up when it's neither a holiday nor anything major has happened?
He couldn't help but ask, "Xiao Ji, why did you suddenly bring this up?"
Jiang Ji was just waiting for him to ask.
Jiang Ji explained, "Second Uncle, I have some good news to tell you."
"Ye Li plans to bring our family together to build a tofu puff workshop. You, Second Aunt, Xiao Liu, and Yu Ge'er can all come and work there. You'll earn at least thirty coins a day."
Thirty coins? That's so high?!
Jiang Dahe exclaimed in surprise.
Moreover, this tofu puff workshop also shocked him.
His nephew-in-law actually wants to recruit more people to make tofu puffs.
As expected of someone who dares to build a house without informing Xiao Ji, he has guts!
Sigh, my nephew-in-law is so capable. Luckily, Xiao Ji became a scholar, otherwise he would have been oppressed at home.
The thought flashed through his mind, and he quickly started calculating his wages.
Thirty coins per person, that's one hundred and twenty coins for four people a day!
So much money!
It's truly a joyous occasion, as it allows his entire family of four to earn such high wages and find such excellent jobs, which are hard to come by even in the county town!
However, the wages are too high.
He also knew the process of making tofu puffs, so he said, "We're all family here, no need to pay such high wages. This job isn't heavy."
"Well... Xiao Liu and Yu Ge'er will get married in the future, and they will need to save up for their dowries. You can take Gao Gong's wages, but your second aunt and I don't need the money, so we don't need to give you so much."
Speaking of dowry, he put his hands on his hips and smiled, "Xiao Liu will be seventeen after the New Year, and you'll be a scholar now. Shouldn't we arrange a marriage for her?"
"Look at the three Datong brothers, matchmakers are coming to their door so frequently. Why don't we ask the matchmakers to keep an eye out for Xiaoliu too?"
"With our family's current circumstances, we can definitely find her a good match, and she might even be able to marry someone from the county town!"
Jiang Ji was very pleased to hear this; his second uncle was finally thinking about Xiao Liu and Yu Ge'er.
He smiled and said, "It's precisely because we're all family that we pay so much. Besides, Xiao Liu is planning to find a husband, and the higher the salary she pays, the more outstanding the young man will be if he's willing to come to her door."
"...Looking for a son-in-law?"
Jiang Dahe, who was immersed in joy, was stunned.
"Yes, she wants to find a son-in-law, someone hardworking and honest, so that the couple can take care of you and your second aunt in your old age."
Thinking of the suffering Jiang Liu had endured over the years, Jiang Ji pursed his lips. Such a good daughter, since his second uncle couldn't see it before, now he had to explain it clearly.
"She had actually been thinking about finding a husband for a long time, but given our previous circumstances, what kind of man could she find? Therefore, although the work of grinding grain was very tiring, she still gritted her teeth and persevered."
"Because she wants to make money, she wants to have the capital to attract a husband."
“Although she wasn’t born a man, she did no less for you and your second aunt, for this family, than any son would. She was willing to give up her entire life to stay in this family and take care of you and your second aunt until the end.”
"Second Uncle, she didn't do this to prove anything. She's just being filial and willing to dedicate her whole life to taking care of you and Second Aunt."
Jiang Dahe: "..."
He couldn't help but recall the days he had spent seeing Jiang Liu off to work every morning for the past six months.
After dropping people off each day, he would chat briefly with Ye Li or Jiang Ji before leaving.
While they were talking, Jiang Liu would quietly go to the kitchen to get out the soaked beans and then start grinding them.
He rarely saw Jiang Liu working up a sweat and panting heavily while grinding grain.
However, during the busy farming season, Jiang Liu would use a handcart to haul wheat, corn, and other grains home.
He carried a sack of grain by himself, loaded it onto a truck, and put it into the warehouse.
And when it came to irrigation, she carried buckets of water on a shoulder pole, making trip after trip...
Each of these tasks would leave her drenched in sweat and unable to straighten her back.
He felt sorry for Jiang Liu, seeing her so exhausted.
Although he longed for a son, Jiang Liu was also a good daughter whom he had raised with great care and affection, and she had been obedient and sensible since childhood!
But he had no choice.
My family is poor!
He had to support Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya, and also save money for Jiang Ji, fearing that Jiang Ji wouldn't have enough money to continue his studies.
He also had no eldest son, so these tasks could only fall to Jiang Liu, his eldest daughter.
Jiang Liu never complained about the hardship, and even felt sorry for him and Liang Erxiang. She had just saved up some money, but instead of using it to prepare a dowry, she wanted to buy a mule cart!
It turns out that his daughter, Xiaoliu, had long harbored the idea of finding a son-in-law...
Given his family's past circumstances, what good ones would be willing to come to their door?!
Xiaoliu was indeed planning to sacrifice herself for him in his old age...
He has such a good daughter!
Overwhelmed by a mix of emotions—gratitude, frustration, guilt, and regret—his eyes welled up with tears.
“She…she’s a good person, she’s been sensible since she was little, but I…I couldn’t help it…I said those things…”
He raised his hand to wipe his eyes and didn't say anything more.
He is a man with no children. When Xiaoliu and Yuge'er get married and he and Liang Erxiang can no longer work, and they are sick and bedridden, who will give them a hot meal?
The couple may never even get a hot meal, and then die in bed, their bodies not being discovered until they start to decompose!
He's terrified just thinking about that scene!
He was terrified!
That's why he spoke so recklessly, saying hurtful things in front of Jiang Liu and Jiang Yu.
He was only focused on his fear...
Thinking about his performance over the years, tears of regret welled up in his eyes.
He wiped his eyes, then lowered them and remained silent.
Upon seeing this, Jiang Ji immediately said, "Second Uncle, Xiao Liu doesn't resent you, nor does she hate you. All of this was of her own free will."
“In the past, we were poor and there were many things we couldn’t do. But that won’t be the case anymore.”
"From now on, you and your second aunt can just wait to enjoy your retirement."
“I support Xiaoliu. No matter how well she marries, it’s not as good as staying in our own home and living comfortably. You and your second aunt can live anywhere. Whether it’s me, Ye Li, or Xiaoliu and her husband, we will take good care of you and your second aunt and let you spend your old age in peace.”
"That's great!"
That's great!
Hearing those four words, Jiang Dahe wanted to laugh.
Yes, that's great!
He had been fearing for over a decade that no one would be there to support him in his old age, but who knew that not only would his eldest nephew be looking for a son-in-law to take care of him in his old age, but Xiao Liu would also be looking for a son-in-law to support him in his old age!
He suddenly had two choices, how could he not be happy?
He grinned, ready to smile, but before his lips could even curve into a smile, tears welled up in his eyes again.
He...he's so sorry to Xiaoliu!
Tears streamed down his face as he turned away from Jiang Ji, his heart aching terribly.
Jiang Ji sighed softly and said, "Second Uncle, I'll go to the main room to get the money. I'll be right back."
Let his second uncle calm down by himself.
He stepped out of the kitchen, washed his hands, and then went to the west room. He pushed open the door and saw Ye Li looking through his diary at the table.
As he walked towards Ye Li, he said, "Haven't you watched it many times already?"
"Just killing time." Ye Li turned to look at him: "Is Second Uncle angry? What did you say to him?"
“He’s not angry. This is a good thing for him. He’s happy to go from fear to having two choices all at once. You’re overthinking it.”
Jiang Ji stopped in front of Ye Li.
In the morning, while taking a break to drink water, he discussed with Ye Li how to approach Jiang Dahe.
Ye Li thought Jiang Dahe would be angry because all his years of heartfelt devotion had come to nothing—he no longer needed to support Jiang Dahe in his old age, and Jiang Dahe had wasted his time and effort on the three brothers.
But he felt it wouldn't happen, that it couldn't be that bad.
Although Jiang Dahe's heartfelt words over the years have indeed been purposeful.
But they are uncle and nephew, so even if they didn't have the intention of taking care of Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya in their old age, Jiang Dahe would definitely be willing to give them food.
It's just that I might not be as dedicated as I am now.
But Jiang Dahe is kind and simple at heart. When his father was still alive, the two families had a very good relationship.
Furthermore, it wouldn't be a waste of years of effort. If Jiang Dahe is willing to live with him and Ye Li, he, Ye Li, Jiang Mai, and Jiang Ya will live in the new house, while Jiang Dahe and Liang Erxiang can live in the main room.
However, these three rooms in the main hall are quite old and won't be habitable for many more years.
Once the tofu puff workshop is up and running for just two months, they can save up enough money to build a new house.
He will build a new house as long as Jiang Dahe and Liang Erxiang are willing to move in.
His second uncle's efforts were not in vain.
Ye Li asked curiously, "Not even a little bit of air?"
"No." Jiang Ji shook his head.
"So how did you talk to him?" Ye Li continued to ask.
"Let's start with the tofu puff workshop..." Jiang Ji explained briefly.
Ye Li suddenly realized: "Going for the emotional appeal, huh? You're good at playing the sentimental card, no wonder."
"Emotional appeal? Playing the sentimental card?" Jiang Ji raised an eyebrow.
"No, you're insightful and to the point. A master."
Ye Li gave him a thumbs up.
Jiang Ji: "..."
He raised his hand and cupped Ye Li's face, first lowering his head to gently rub his nose against Ye Li's nose, and then said, "My good husband, I don't intend to shirk responsibility, so your second uncle won't be angry."
"Although he has been quite talkative over the years, he has never been a bad person to little Liu Yu."
Ye Li raised an eyebrow upon hearing this.
This is a veiled advice to him not to view the Yangtze River with prejudice.
Actually, he didn't either.
The main reason is that this matter would make it seem like Jiang Ji is shirking responsibility, so his first concern about Jiang Dahe is this.
But Jiang Ji's focus just now was on Jiang Liu's filial piety and hardships. Now, Jiang Dahe is so moved and guilty that he's crying his eyes out. He definitely can't care about that anymore.
As for after calming down.
The couple didn't intend to shirk their responsibility. As long as Jiang Dahe felt their sincerity, he wasn't an unreasonable person.
Thinking of this, he hugged Jiang Ji's neck and softened his tone, saying, "My dear husband, I was wrong. I shouldn't have made malicious assumptions about Second Uncle's reaction."
Jiang Ji laughed upon hearing this: "No need to admit fault, it hasn't come to that."
But as soon as he finished speaking, he couldn't help but kiss Ye Li's lips.
Although he and Ye Li had disagreements on this matter, they did not argue.
This state of mind truly pleased him.
Ye Li was unaware of Jiang Ji's thoughts, but he was the kind of person who always admitted his mistakes.
Since he guessed wrong, he should apologize.
At that moment, seeing Jiang Ji kiss him, he smiled and exchanged a brief kiss with Jiang Ji. After it was over, the two switched positions, with Jiang Ji sitting on the high stool and him sitting on Jiang Ji's lap.
Looking at each other's features so close together, they both laughed at the same time.
Jiang Dahe needed time to calm down, so they chatted and kissed for a while until Jiang Dahe called out from the courtyard, at which point the two of them got up from the high stools.
Jiang Ji went to the bottom of the dresser to get the money, and then the two of them left the main room together.
Jiang Dahe had wiped away his tears, but his eyes were still red.
He took the two strings of cash, said nothing, and went straight out of the courtyard.
He had just left when Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya returned, dragging firewood with them.
The reason the two returned so late was that Jiang Mai wanted to use a slingshot to hunt birds, but unfortunately, he was unlucky and came back empty-handed again.
Jiang Ji asked the two of them to help Ye Li prepare lunch, while he picked up the trowel again.
This time, he went up onto the scaffolding where Jiang Tong was.
Ye Li is holding a three-party meeting that evening, and he needs to talk to Jiang Tong about the workshop beforehand.
Meanwhile, Jiang Dahe arrived home to find Liang Erxiang preparing lunch.
Jiang Liu and Jiang Yu were sitting at the entrance of the main room making padded jackets.
Upon seeing him enter, Jiang Yu greeted him as usual, calling him "Dad" and asking why he was back so early today.
Jiang Liu didn't speak, but just looked at him nervously.
He felt even more guilty.
Look how scared the child is!
He carried the copper coins and walked towards Jiang Liu: "Little Liu, it's your father who has wronged you."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Liu immediately stood up: "Father?"
Jiang Yu, who was standing to the side, was a little puzzled and put down the needle in her hand.
Jiang Dahe approached the two of them. As he got closer, Jiang Liu and Jiang Yu could tell that he had been crying.
Just as Jiang Yu was about to ask, he spoke up with a guilty look on his face: "Xiao Liu, Brother Yu, don't take what I said before to heart."
"It was Dad's fault. Even if I was worried before, I shouldn't have kept nagging. This matter is not your fault at all."
"Don't worry, I will never say those things again. Over the years, I have wronged you two. Please don't hate me."
“Raising you is better than raising… no, it’s better than raising a son. After all, as your brother Li said, many sons forget their parents after they get married! You are better than those kinds of sons!”
Jiang Yu: "..."
He looked at Jiang Liu with a shocked expression.
What's going on?
His dad's possessed?!
But Jiang Liu understood what was going on.
Jiang Liu's nose tingled, and she wanted to cry too: "Father, Yu Ge'er and I have never hated you."
Her father was all talk and no action; he never hit or scolded her or Yu Ge'er, and never even reprimanded them.
Although she values her brother Ji and Xiaomai, she won't give them all the good things while leaving her and her brother Yu without them.
It's like when the family buys meat, her parents would rather not taste it themselves than let the younger ones have any.
So, over the years, although she has felt wronged, cried, and complained, she has never truly hated anyone.
If she hated him, she wouldn't have wanted to find a husband and stay in this family.
Jiang Yu, who was standing nearby, didn't quite understand the conversation between his sister and father, but he had never hated them. So he quickly added, "Father, I've never hated you either!"
"So... what happened between you and my sister? Why are you bringing this up out of the blue?"
Hearing Jiang Liu and Jiang Yu's answers, Jiang Dahe felt both happy and guilty. He explained, "Your sister wants to find a husband for me and your mother to take care of in our old age. That's when I realized how wrong I've been all these years."
"Looking for a son-in-law?!"
Jiang Yu was taken aback.
Hearing the commotion, Liang Erxiang, who was standing at the kitchen door observing, was also startled: "Xiao Liu is looking for a son-in-law?!"
...
Jiang Dahe didn't return until late afternoon, driving his mule cart back.
He parked the mule cart at the gate of the courtyard and carried the pastries, candies, and dried fruits he had just bought into the yard.
The basket was full, and it cost more than 700 coins.
Peanuts were the cheapest among them, so he bought a lot of them.
Ye Li had already finished frying the tofu puffs and was frying the dough balls. Seeing him carrying a basket into the kitchen, she said, "You've worked hard, Uncle. Take a rest and have some dough balls. They're fresh out of the pan."
Jiang Dahe put the basket on the dining table, waved his hand and said, "I'm not eating. I ate at home before going to the county town."
"When Yu-ge saw that Xiao-liu was looking for a husband, he clamored that he also wanted to find a husband. This caused quite a delay, which is why he is only now returning."
"Brother Yu also wants to find a son-in-law?" Ye Li asked in surprise.
"That's right, kids, they just do whatever comes to mind."
That's what he said, but Jiang Dahe already had a smile on his face.
If Jiang Yu also takes in a son-in-law, then there will be one more person to take care of him in his old age!
How could he possibly suppress the corners of his mouth?
He secretly chuckled all the way into town while driving the mule cart!
Seeing his good mood, Ye Li smiled and said, "Second Uncle, Yu'er is only fourteen. Let him choose if he wants. We'll let him pick one slowly."
“Once the tofu puff workshop is up and running, he will earn one tael of silver a month. With the income from preserved eggs, there will definitely be handsome young men willing to come to him.”
Hearing this, Jiang Dahe couldn't help but grin.
That's right. With Xiao Liu and Yu Ge'er's qualifications, he really wouldn't be interested in just any ordinary guy!
So he said, "What's the use of being handsome? You can't eat them. Pick the stronger ones, the ones who can work!"
Ye Li chuckled upon hearing this and went along with him, saying, "That's right, being handsome is useless; being strong is better. Let's pick the stronger ones."
Since the topic of workshops came up, he asked, "Second Uncle, you, Second Aunt, and Little Liuyu are all willing to work here, right?"
"Of course we're willing! This job definitely has to be done by our own people."
Jiang Dahe nodded.
“Okay, after you finish work this evening, don’t leave with Brother Datong and Uncle. Let’s discuss it. If there are no other problems, we can continue building the shed after the new house is finished.”
Ye Lidao.
"no problem!"
The river should flow down.
Such a good thing should of course be started as soon as possible.
The more days you work, the more wages you get!
He no longer thinks thirty wen is too much. He wants to find outstanding young men for Xiao Liu and Yu Ge'er, but with their current financial resources, it's far from enough!
He needs to save more money!
Jiang Dahe thought so, and so did Jiang Tong's family.
Jiang Tong's family built a new house and invested almost all the money that the carpenter surnamed Wang had given them as compensation. Suddenly, their savings were gone, and they were very anxious.
If it weren't for the egg-shaped object, the three brothers would have had a really hard time finding a spouse.
Making eggs is really effortless and time-consuming, but it still takes half a month to turn them into cash. During this time, the whole family can only make wind chimes together.
This little thing is simple to make and sells quickly. Once you collect a few dozen and give them to Ye Liang, they'll be sold out in two or three days.
Moreover, although the carpenter surnamed Wang lived in the town, the incident last time caused such a big commotion that even if he saw a business opportunity, he wouldn't dare to easily imitate it.
Therefore, this business still has great potential for profit.
However, once winter arrives and there are no more out-of-town merchants and travelers, this business will become difficult.
Now that there's a workshop that allows their whole family to earn a stable income, they're very happy about it!
Both parties were willing, so the meeting between the three parties in the evening went very smoothly and was completed in a quarter of an hour.
When Jiang Tong's family built their new house, they demolished their old yard and freed up a lot of mud bricks that could still be reused.
With just the mud bricks from Jiang Tong's house, they could almost build a shed.
Every household knows how to make these mud bricks; there's no cost involved, only labor.
Ye Li originally planned to buy it from the villagers, which wouldn't cost much.
Now that Jiang Tong insisted on giving it to her for free, Ye Li happily accepted it.
The next day, after the beam-raising ceremony, Ye Li called out to Jiang Fuzheng in the crowd and talked to him about the workshop.
Jiang Fuzheng was very happy to hear this. It was not easy to find work in winter, and now he could earn thirty coins a day without leaving the village. He was frying things in the oil, which was not strenuous and was not cold!
This is such a rare find!
Seeing that the men of Ye Li's three families were all busy building houses and couldn't spare any manpower, he called on his own family members to go up the mountain to cut down trees so that Ye Li could help build the shed.
With the main beam in place, things will proceed quickly for Ye Li.
The team finished building the roof in just two days.
At this point, the main structure of the house is considered complete.
These days there's no cement or latex paint, so the walls were considered finished.
Next, all you need to do is level the ground, and then you can build the kang (heated brick bed).
Laying bricks on the ground is a small job; it doesn't require bricklayers or laborers, and the family can do it themselves.
Their family was large and their house was small, so two days later, the floors of all five rooms were paved with blue bricks.
Next, the kang (heated brick bed) builders can enter the site.
This one is quick too. They're all experienced masters with years of experience, and Ye Li's requirements aren't unreasonable. It's just a bit bigger than a regular kang (heated brick bed), so there's nothing difficult about it.
While the kang (heated brick bed) builders were working, the Jiang family was building a shed to the west of their new house.
However, before the kang (heated brick bed) was built and the shed was completed, an autumn rain fell.
The rain wasn't heavy, but it fell on and off for two days, accompanied by a light breeze.
A gentle breeze blew many leaves off the jujube trees in front of the door.
Once the weather clears up again, the sun's power will be greatly reduced.
Winter is coming.
Ye Li was very fortunate that the house had already been built.
Next, we need to buy more firewood to prepare for winter.
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