Chapter Twenty-Eight: Building a House
The busy spring plowing season has come to an end, and the new seedlings in the fields have sprouted tender green buds.
Early in the morning, a different kind of busy and festive atmosphere quietly filled the Xiong family's courtyard in Zhuoshui Village. The Xiong family had already begun preparing the wedding supplies.
Old Man Xiong and Madam Song gave Xiong Zixiang a serious plea, "Xiang-ge'er, this is a major event in your life! You can't be careless in the slightest! Also, be aware that the girl is someone with her own opinions. Ask her for her opinion more often, don't just think about it on your own!"
Old Man Xiong chimed in, "That's right, pay more attention to her, don't mistreat the girl!"
Xiong Zixiang was tired of his parents nagging him, but he still smiled and had already made plans in his mind.
While his parents were both present, he spoke of his long-held thoughts: "Father, Mother, I am naturally concerned about your marriage. However, I have another plan that I would like to discuss with you both."
"What are your plans? Tell me," Song asked.
“I was thinking of... clearing out that empty space behind our old house and building two new rooms.”
Xiong Zixiang looked at his parents and said in a steady tone, "Firstly, after Xiaoyi and I get married, the young couple will be more comfortable living alone. Secondly, with Juan'er bringing Xiaobao back to live with you two, she can take care of him and help out at home. Anyway, it's close by, just a few steps away, so it's convenient to get around."
Song and Old Man Xiong exchanged a glance, both seeing understanding and relief in each other's eyes.
As my son grows up, he becomes more thoughtful and considerate in his actions.
"Great idea! That's a good idea!"
Mrs. Song beamed with joy and immediately made the decision.
“My son is very thoughtful. Let’s build this new house. It’s spacious enough for you two, with two main rooms and a small kitchen!”
As she spoke, she turned and went into the inner room, rummaged around for a while, and when she came out, she was holding a small cloth bag in her hand.
She untied the cloth bag, inside were several pieces of silver of different sizes and several strings of copper coins.
"Here, take this!" Madam Song stuffed the cloth bag into Xiong Zixiang's hand.
"This is a little bit of savings that Mother has accumulated over the years. It's not much, just ten taels of silver."
“Building a house is a big deal, and there are countless expenses: buying bricks and tiles, hiring craftsmen, procuring timber... everything costs money. You can use this first, and if it's not enough, we'll figure something out.”
Xiong Zixiang looked at the heavy cloth bag in his hand, then at his mother's gray hair and earnest eyes, and his throat tightened slightly.
"Mother...this..."
"What is this? Take it!" Madam Song glared at him, feigning anger.
"Building a new house for your daughter-in-law is something your mother is happy about! Your father is happy about it too! Isn't that right, old man?"
Old Man Xiong puffed on his pipe and nodded happily, "Yes, I'd love to! Building a new house is wonderful; it'll bring us a prosperous and thriving life."
With his parents' support, Xiong Zixiang felt much more at ease. He was always decisive and efficient, and once he had a plan in mind, he immediately began to take action.
After finishing my shift in the evening, I went out onto the street and bought some high-quality red dates and lotus seeds. Back in my kitchen, I lit a small fire and carefully simmered a small pot of sweet and soothing red date and lotus seed soup.
He carefully wrapped the jar in thick cotton cloth, held it in his hands, still warm from the heat, and then walked toward the Zhang family's courtyard.
When they arrived at the Zhang family's house, Zhang Yimou had just finished cleaning the stove and was about to feed the chickens when he saw Xiong Zixiang carrying a cotton cloth bag in, which surprised him.
"Captain Xiong? You... need something?"
Xiong Zixiang placed the cotton cloth bundle on the stone mill in the courtyard, peeled it off layer by layer, revealing a pot of sweet soup steaming inside, and a sweet aroma wafted out.
"It's nothing."
His voice was low, with a hint of barely perceptible unease.
"Seeing how busy you were in the fields the other day, and how you were also helping with things at home, I made you some sweet soup to soothe you."
Looking at the steaming pot of sweet soup and then at Xiong Zixiang's serious expression, Zhang felt a warmth in her heart and a smile appeared on her face: "Thank you, Officer Xiong, you're so kind." She reached out to take the pot.
Their fingers inadvertently brushed against the warm jar.
Zhang Liuyi quickly withdrew her hand as if she had been burned, her cheeks slightly flushed.
Xiong Zixiang seemed frozen in place, his fingers lingering on the jar for a moment before he awkwardly withdrew them, a blush creeping onto his ears.
"cough…"
Xiong Zixiang cleared his throat and took the opportunity to get down to business, diverting attention from the subtle awkwardness.
“Listen, I… I want to build two new houses on the vacant lot behind the old house. I’ve discussed this with my parents, and they both agree.”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Liuyi looked up at him in surprise.
Building a new house? That's no small matter!
Xiong Zixiang met her gaze, his tone sincere and consultative.
“Firstly, after we get married, we’ll have our own place to live, which will be more peaceful and comfortable. Secondly, with Juan’er bringing Xiao Bao back to live with her parents, it will be easier to take care of them. Since we live nearby, we can visit her anytime.”
He paused, then added, "I'm thinking of going to the county tomorrow to hire a few skilled bricklayers. The busy farming season is over, and many able-bodied men in the village are idle. Hiring them for manual labor, paying them wages, would be a good idea. As for the carpentry work..."
"I'd like to ask Brother Liu Ji for help. What do you mean by that?"
"I'm thinking of going to the county tomorrow to hire workers. We can't do without bricklayers, and as for laborers, the busy farming season is almost over. We'll hire some from the village. Neighbors who have the ability and money are all willing to help."
It was a quick and easy thing to do to keep an eye on things. After thinking about it, I readily agreed and, taking advantage of the fact that Brother Ji hadn't rested yet, I went to look for him.
Upon arriving at Zhang Dahe's house and meeting Zhang Yiyu, Xiong Zixiang spoke with a respectful yet consultative tone: "Brother Liuji, I was just about to talk to you about this. I'd like to ask you to oversee the carpentry work for the new house, including raising the beams, making the doors and windows, and building the furniture. Don't worry about the wages; we'll pay you the same as the carpenters in the county. We won't let our own brother suffer any losses!"
Zhang Liuji was initially happy for his sister Xiong Zixiang when he heard that she was going to build a new house, and was about to say, "Just let me know if you need anything from me." But as soon as he heard the word "wages," his honest face instantly darkened.
Zhang Liuji glared at him: "We're family, why talk like family? What about wages? We're just helping each other out."
Hearing this, Xiong Zixiang softened his tone, a rare occurrence, and said a flattering remark: "Alright! Brother Liu Ji, I misspoke! I deserve a beating! Let's not talk about money! We're family, no need for formalities! The main beams, doors, and windows of this new house will all depend on your 'Lu Ban reborn' craftsmanship! When the new house is built solidly and brightly, my wife and I will be very comfortable living here!"
"That's more like it!" Zhang Liuji finally hummed in satisfaction, and his honest smile returned to his face.
"Don't worry! Leave it to me! I guarantee I'll give you a beautiful house that won't go wrong even after a hundred years!"
The Song family chose an auspicious day for the start of construction, and all the necessary items, including an incense table and offering table, were prepared.
"First bow, may you have good fortune and everything go as you wish! Second bow, may you have wealth and prosperity! Third bow, may you have peace and joy!"
As soon as they finished speaking, Xiong Zixiang and Zhang Yili each threw a few copper coins into the foundation as a way to ward off evil spirits and protect the house.
After incense was lit, a series of loud firecrackers went off. Just as dawn was breaking, the villagers knew that the Xiong family had started construction on their new house.
Suddenly, the open space behind the Xiong family's old house became lively.
Xiong Zixiang indeed invited more than a dozen strong men, all of whom were hardworking and capable men from nearby villages.
The bricklayer's master also arrived. He was a seasoned old craftsman in his fifties, surnamed Chen, who brought two apprentices with him. As soon as he arrived, he began to use lime powder to mark lines on the ground and set the foundation.
Zhang Liuji arrived early as well, still wearing his usual coarse cloth short jacket for work.
Holding a long measuring rod and an ink line, Zhang Liuji carefully measured the dimensions according to the baseline drawn by Master Chen, occasionally using the ink line to flick out straight ink lines to mark the position of the column base.
This was his first major job, and it was to build a new house for his own younger sister, so he had to put in his best effort and take full responsibility.
After finishing his shift, Xiong Zixiang changed out of his police uniform and into a neat short-sleeved shirt. He helped coordinate, deliver water, and send tools at the construction site.
As the villagers were munching on flatbreads by the well at midday, an uncle remarked with envy, "The Xiong family has really risen to prominence; their foundation is quite spacious!"
His wife, standing nearby, was regretting that she hadn't told Xiong Zixiang about her daughter: "Why didn't you tell the Zhang family? Liu Ji himself is a carpenter. He'll definitely use all his skills to repair his sister's house. After it's finished, we'll go see Zhang the carpenter. Our old house should be repaired too."
Back to the house construction, the foundation was a huge project. The drawings provided by Zhang Liuji showed that the foundation had to be solid.
The men used wooden stakes to continuously drive the mud and white clay together, mixing them thoroughly, and then built a ring of blue bricks around the outside to prevent moisture.
While the men busily built the house, Song prepared the meals, not expecting them to be exceptionally good, but making as much as possible to ensure there was enough food!
In a large iron pot, thick slices of fatty pork belly are stir-fried until they sizzle with oil. Then, a large bowl of chopped cabbage, radish, and potato chunks are poured in, along with a generous amount of coarse salt and homemade fermented soybean paste. Pour in plenty of water, cover the pot, and let it simmer.
Zhang Yi was also busy; she knew what these men who did physical labor needed most.
She got up very early and used the finest pork fat to render two large earthenware jars full of snow-white, delicate lard.
She carefully placed the golden, shiny, crispy, and fragrant pork cracklings that were skimmed off during the rendering process into another large earthenware basin.
The men had been working all morning and their stomachs were empty. The aroma of pork cracklings made them all hungry.
They were all sandwiched inside a cornbread bun and eaten together; they tasted delicious.
Standing to the side, Song watched as her future daughter-in-law, Zhang Xiaoyi, deftly distributed fried pork cracklings to the men. Her movements were swift and efficient, her smile generous, and her words thoughtful and appropriate. Song felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction and affection for her.
After the men had all happily devoured the cornbread filled with fried pork cracklings, Song quietly pulled Zhang Yili, who had just put down the empty basin and was about to clear the dishes.
"Yi-jie, come here with your aunt for a moment."
With a low voice and a mysterious yet loving smile on her face, Madam Song grabbed Zhang Xiaoyi's wrist and led her into her kitchen without saying a word.
The kitchen was still filled with the mixed aroma of stew and lard, and the stove was warm.
Song closed the half-closed wooden door behind her, shutting out the noise from outside, and the small space immediately became quiet.
"Auntie, what's wrong?" Zhang Liuyi looked at Song Shi with some confusion.
Instead of answering immediately, Song walked to the stove, lifted the lid of an inconspicuous old earthenware pot, and groped out a small package wrapped tightly in a faded red cloth.
The red cloth was clearly quite old; the color was no longer bright, but it was washed clean and folded neatly.
She untied the red cloth, revealing the silver gleam beneath.
It was a silver bracelet.
The bracelet has a simple and elegant design, unlike the currently popular ornate and flashy styles. It is a simple and elegant round bar with a smooth and rounded surface.
"Yi-jie, take this quickly." Madam Song held the silver bracelet in her palm and handed it to Zhang Liuli.
"Auntie! This...this is too precious! You can't use it! You really can't use it!" Although she didn't know much about jewelry, this bracelet was obviously an old item, a family heirloom.
"What's so expensive about it?" Madam Song glared at Zhang Xiaoyi reproachfully, but her tone was unusually gentle.
"No matter how valuable it is, it's just a piece of silver. Compared to a person, what is it?" Her rough but warm palm covered Zhang Liuli's hand holding the bracelet, gently stroking it.
"This bracelet... was passed down to me by my mother-in-law, Zixiang's grandmother."
“When I married into the Xiong family, I had nothing but this bracelet, which was my mother-in-law’s most treasured possession. She said that being a daughter-in-law in the Xiong family was not easy, and wearing it was like having her by my side to protect me.”
Her fingers gently traced the simple cloud patterns on the bracelet. "These cloud patterns represent 'auspicious clouds,' symbolizing the hope for family harmony and prosperity, and for the safety and well-being of future generations."
“Yi’er, your aunt hopes that you and Zixiang will live happily ever after, just like this bracelet, perfectly complete. You are a good child, sensible, capable, and kind-hearted. Your aunt... your aunt treats you like her own daughter! Keep this bracelet, it’s not only for you, but also a keepsake for the future of our Xiong family.”
She stopped refusing and said, "Auntie, I...I can keep it. Thank you! I...I will definitely keep it and...live a good life."
The host is devoted, and the workers are dedicated; in the countryside, loyalty and affection are paramount.
The Xiong family treated them well, and the laborers worked extra hard.
The atmosphere at the construction site was even more lively in the afternoon.
The men seemed to have been injected with new strength; their shouts were louder, their arms swung the rams more powerfully, and their bricklaying movements were more swift. In the deep trenches where the foundation was being dug, sweat poured down like rain, but no one complained of hardship or fatigue. Instead, they competed with each other to see who could work faster and better.
"Hey guys, give it your all! The host is being so generous, we can't let them down!"
"Yes! This foundation needs to be built as solid as an iron plate for Engineer Zhang!"
"Watch this! When you ram it down, I guarantee the earth will tremble!"
As if their strength was inexhaustible, the soil foundation, which originally required two days to compact, was completed ahead of schedule by the time the sun was setting, thanks to everyone's concerted and hard work.
The deep ditch was filled and compacted with rammed earth as hard as stone, and the damp-proof wall made of blue bricks was also built neatly and straight as a line.
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