Chapter 338 Wild Boar Enters the Village]
Aunt Yang glanced at her and said, "That must be Miss Shen. Don't forget, what is Miss Shen's status? She must be very knowledgeable!"
Another person said, "Don't listen to her. Everyone knows that the Yang family is close to this family now. Her son helps buy firewood and make inquiries, and he's earned a lot of money! If you ask me, our loess bricks will definitely win! The new wall we built three years ago is still in good condition!"
"Ah... I think red bricks win. Look how much work went into making them. Perhaps they're the kind of bricks only the imperial palace can afford..."
While everyone was talking, Zhu Huaihua came running over excitedly with a piece of loess brick in her arms.
She held up the loess bricks for everyone to see, then looked at Chen Fenghe and sneered, "My bricks are big, don't blame me for bullying you, you can pick two to compare with me!"
Chen Fenghe: “…”
Chen Fenghe sighed and said, "How do you want to compete?"
"Isn't that easy? Why not just throw two bricks against each other and see which one breaks first?" someone suggested.
"This method works!" Everyone started to cheer after hearing it.
After hearing this, Zhu Huaihua immediately picked up her brick and smashed it hard at a red brick!
With a loud "pop", the loess bricks not only broke into several pieces, but also turned into powder where they were directly hit.
Zhu Huaihua was stunned, and the others who were craning their necks to watch the fun were also stunned.
"this……"
"Are our loess lumps so brittle?"
"Things made with so much effort are indeed much better! I told you that Miss Shen would definitely win!"
"This brick is so good. When my family builds a house, I will also ask Miss Shen to make some of these red bricks..."
"Forget it. Not to mention the effort involved, how much firewood would it cost? Are you willing to spend it?"
Zhu Huaihua came back to her senses, her face flushing and pale. She said angrily, "I don't believe it! It must be...it must be that your brick just happened to be so hard. I'll try another one!"
As he spoke, Zhu Huaihua had already picked up a broken loess brick and ran to smash another brick.
The result is naturally predictable.
Everyone couldn't bear to watch it anymore, and finally Zhu Huaihua's mother dragged her away, making her look disgraceful.
After watching the excitement, everyone dispersed.
Chen Fenghe asked Zhang Yuan to move all the bricks to the yard for use.
At this time, Yang Baozong stepped forward and said with a smile: "Mrs. Shen, didn't you ask me last time to find out where to buy limestone nearby? I haven't found anyone who specializes in selling this, but people in a village more than 20 miles away said that they saw this kind of stone on the mountain near their village, so I asked someone to bring back two pieces. Mrs. Shen, take a look and see if this is what you want?"
As he spoke, he really took out two stones from his bag and showed them to Chen Fenghe.
Chen Fenghe took it and looked at it, then immediately smiled and said, "Yes, this is the kind of stone. Brother Yang, can you please tell the people in that village to go to the mountains and dig some of this stone for me? I'll charge a hundred coins for a cartload. However, I only want this kind of stone. I don't want ordinary stones."
Although Yang Baozong was already used to Shen Fenghe's various strange requests, he couldn't help but ask at this time: "Miss Shen, it's okay for you to spend money to buy firewood, but why did you spend so much money to buy this stone?"
Chen Fenghe smiled and said, "Well, you'll know when the stone arrives."
Winter is the slack season for farming, and people in rural areas have little farm work to do. Apart from the corvée labor ordered by the government, most of them just rest and do nothing.
Therefore, when the people in that village heard that they could make so much money by digging stones, they were very enthusiastic. Within a few days, they sent three or five trucks of stones.
Chen Fenghe didn't think it was too much, so she collected them all, but seeing that it was enough, she didn't let anyone dig any more.
She also asked the villagers to dig some clay and river sand.
The clay is ordinary clay used to make loess bricks. As for river sand, the land in this area is somewhat desertified, and there is a lot of sand and gravel accumulated in the river. Therefore, it is easy to obtain.
After the materials were ready, Chen Fenghe asked Zhang Yuan and several other people from the village - these were also selected by Yang Baozong. The work she had to do was all physical work, and Zhang Yuan alone was somewhat overwhelmed - to first crush the limestone into powder, then mix the materials together in a certain proportion, and then put them into the kiln.
This made everyone even more confused.
Yang Baozong couldn't help asking again: "Mrs. Shen, we know how to make bricks, but what's the point of burning these stones, sand, and soil?"
Chen Fenghe still smiled and said, "I will be useful after all, so just do it."
After hearing this, Yang Baozong, Zhang Yuan and others had no choice but to start working with suspicion.
Firing these takes a lot less time than firing bricks, but it still takes a few days. After they are fired and taken out of the kiln and cooled, they are crushed into powder and can be used.
Yang Baozong, Zhang Yuan and others looked at the gray powder in front of them and asked, "Ms. Shen, what exactly is this? What is it used for?"
Shen Fenghe then smiled and solved the mystery: "This is called cement, and it is also used to build houses."
In fact, there is a long history of using limestone and sand mixed as building materials in ancient times, but it requires a lot of manpower and material resources, so its popularity is naturally not comparable to modern times.
Moreover, in the era she traveled through, these things seemed even less common. Only the imperial palace or the residences of high-ranking officials in the capital would use red bricks or lime and sand.
Ordinary poor people naturally didn’t know this, and they all used simple homemade loess blocks to build houses.
Just by looking at the fact that they don't even know what limestone is used for, you can tell that they don't know these things.
She asked me to find limestone
"Cement?" It was the first time that Yang Baozong heard this name, and he looked confused.
Chen Fenghe nodded and said, "Use this powder, mix it with water and sand, and add some quicklime, and you can use it to build bricks together."
Upon hearing this, Yang Baozong said, "Just for laying bricks? We use yellow mud to stick them together, it's very solid..."
Chen Fenghe pursed her lips and smiled, saying, "This way it will be more secure."
After the cement was ready, Chen Fenghe also asked them to burn a kiln of limestone.
Through high-temperature forging, a chemical reaction occurs inside the limestone, turning it into quicklime.
She then asked them to dig a pit about two meters long and wide, put the forged quicklime in it, and add water.
Quicklime generates high temperature when it comes into contact with water, and becomes mature lime. This can be mixed with cement and sand to build walls, or it can be used alone to paint walls white.
After all these preparations are completed, it is time to renovate your home.
Fortunately, Zhang Yuan is not the only one working now. Almost every family in the village has sent male laborers who have no servants at home to help. Even a few people from the neighboring village who have a good relationship with Yang Baozong have come.
Therefore, Chen Fenghe ordered the repair of all the collapsed and damaged parts of the main house, the east and west wing rooms, as well as the courtyard wall, kitchen and woodshed. Some places were even directly demolished and rebuilt.
She also had the walls of the three main rooms and the east and west wing rooms painted white with lime. It was bright inside, a world of difference from the previous walls painted with yellow mud.
The previously compacted loess ground was also abandoned, and a layer of cement was poured instead.
As for the doors and windows, Chen Fenghe had them custom-made directly from the villages where he bought firewood.
It has to be said that the craftsmen of this dynasty had first-class skills, and the doors and windows were all decorated with exquisite carvings.
The windows need to be papered on the inside to block the wind.
Chen Fenghe originally thought about making a large window frame and filling it with glass.
After thinking about it, I gave up.
There is no such thing as glass in her space, and it comes in large pieces. If she wants it, she has to make it herself.
Although she knew the production method, the actual operation was much more complicated than making red bricks, cement, quicklime, etc. Otherwise, glass would have been a luxury in ancient times.
In ancient times, one couldn't pursue perfection too much.
It took more than a month before the house was completely repaired.
Qin Mengyue and the three little ones looked up at the newly renovated house and could hardly believe their eyes.
"Feng He, the walls of this room are like snow caves, brighter than the rooms in the palace! How...how come this is like a magic trick?"
The little ones soon had a lot of fun, running around on the cement floor and the corridor outside, laughing and playing.
Chen Fenghe smiled and said, "Mom, I've been busy for more than two months. If you say it's a magic trick, then these two months of hard work have been in vain."
Qin Mengyue couldn't help but laugh and said, "That's true. But compared to the shabby house two months ago, I never dreamed that it would be transformed into such a nice place."
Chen Fenghe said, "Although it took two months, it was still rushed. Otherwise, the outside walls should have been painted white. In addition, the floor of this room could also be covered with wooden boards, but there is no way to make it perfect at the moment. I have already purchased tables and chairs from the village where they make furniture, and they will be delivered in a few days. This small courtyard is naturally not as good as the palace, but it is free and full of wild charm. It is enough for us to stay for a while."
Putting aside the rules and such, just talking about architecture, the imperial palaces and the residences of some dignitaries since ancient times have all cost countless money and manpower, and were built by countless skilled craftsmen. Chen Fenghe is not so arrogant as to think that this house hastily built using red bricks, cement and lime can be compared with such works of art.
But compared with other houses in the village, it is indeed much better.
Qin Mengyue agreed deeply with what he said and nodded, saying, "Feng He, you're right. When I was young, I was also often naughty and loved to run away. Later, when I grew up, my mother became very strict with me. Later, I married into the prince's mansion and then entered the palace. There were layers of rules and regulations. Even behind people, I had to maintain the utmost dignity of a queen. Although I lived in a luxurious house, it was not as free and unrestrained as I am now."
As the two were talking, they heard a voice coming from the courtyard gate: "Madam Qin, is Madam Shen at home?"
Chen Fenghe and Qin Mengyue went out to see, and saw Aunt Yang and several other women in the village standing at the door, looking into the yard with great curiosity.
Qin Mengyue hurried over and said with a smile, "Is that Sister Yang? Come in quickly."
Aunt Yang and others came in at this time, looking at the yard in curiosity as they walked.
The original loess brick walls have been replaced with red brick walls. Cement and lime are used to fill the space between each brick. The red bricks are interlaced with gray and white stripes, which looks very regular and beautiful.
"This wall is really beautiful. The red bricks are all about the same size, and there are no bumps or unevenness at all."
"That's right. I saw this outer wall from afar and said that the courtyard would definitely look better. Wasn't I right?"
Qin Mengyue smiled and said, "This is all thanks to Feng He's talent. She loves all kinds of arts and crafts and has learned a lot from ancient books. This was her first attempt, and she actually succeeded. Everyone, come inside."
As he spoke, he led everyone into the house.
The houses of this dynasty were similar to the ancient ones Shen Fenghe knew, with three walls and one side decorated with carved doors and windows. However, this was only found in cities and towns, or in wealthy families.
The houses in ordinary villages, especially those owned by poor families, basically have loess walls on all four sides, with space for doors and windows on the south-facing wall.
Therefore, when everyone saw the main house and the side rooms with a whole wall of carved doors and windows, they all showed envious expressions on their faces.
"This carved door is also brand new, it looks really nice!"
"I've only seen this whole carved door in town! That's only in Master Wang's house!"
After entering, everyone saw the walls of the house that looked like a snow cave, and their eyes lit up.
"Why are these walls so white? They make the room so bright!"
"How much copper coins will this cost?"
"It's more than just copper coins, I'm afraid it will cost a lot of silver!"
At times like this, Chen Fenghe always let Qin Mengyue speak first, and she would act like a well-behaved daughter-in-law.
Qin Mengyue laughed and said, "That's an exaggeration. When we started making our own bricks, all we really had to do was buy firewood and stones, and have the men in the family help out. The main expense was the effort, so the money was only a few taels of silver. While it's certainly a lot, we still have some pocket money, so it's barely enough. Besides, once this house is built, we can easily live in it for at least ten or eight more years than a house made of loess bricks. So, it's not that expensive after all."
After hearing this, everyone nodded and said, "That's indeed the truth."
As they were talking, a woman suddenly said in a sarcastic tone, "I don't believe you can live here for ten or eight more years! This one only looks good on the surface, how can it compare? My courtyard wall and west wing were newly built this spring. I want to see if your house can be built ten years later than mine!"
Qin Mengyue and Shen Fenghe took a look and wondered who else this woman could be but Zhu Huaihua's mother.
Is it true that like daughter, like mother?
Chen Fenghe secretly vowed that she must teach her two little brothers and sisters well. If the family education is not good enough, it will be very stressful for the children.
Before Qin Mengyue could speak, Aunt Yang had already spoken back:
"Mrs. Zhu, are you okay? You're so excited about this? We have to wait ten years to see? You really have nothing better to do, right? Today, everyone is here to visit Madam Qin and congratulate her on the completion of her house renovation. Why are you here so much to spoil the fun? Apart from anything else, which family in our village hasn't received wages from Madam Qin and Miss Shen? Although the men in the family have all come to work and don't get paid for nothing, in this cold winter, if you want to work, someone has to pay you, right? You've already got the actual copper coins, and yet you come here specifically to cause trouble, don't you? Don't you feel guilty?"
Aunt Yang has always been famous in the village for her boldness, righteousness and outspokenness, and she has often argued with Zhu Huaihua's mother in the past.
As a result, the two families had some bad blood and rarely interacted with each other. Zhu Huaihua's mother couldn't argue with Aunt Yang, so she was scolded for a while. She had no words to say back, so she just glared at Aunt Yang and turned away.
Aunt Yang sighed and said, "Madam Qin, Madam Shen, just ignore her. People like her are petty and can't stand others being better than them. They have to say a few words to argue with others and make them uncomfortable."
Qin Mengyue smiled and said, "Thank you, Sister Yang, I know."
Everyone looked at it for a while, and then kept some of the things they brought, such as a few sweet potatoes, a few radishes, or a head of cabbage. They were not expensive, but they were all fresh.
"There's nothing else at home, so consider these ordinary meals as a way to congratulate you on your new home."
Qin Mengyue and Shen Fenghe did not refuse and said with a smile: "Everyone is so thoughtful. We will treat you all again in a few days."
With that, everyone dispersed.
It's strange to say, but two days later, there was a heavy snowfall. The snow was as thick as a palm and reached people's ankles.
Late that night, Chen Fenghe suddenly heard a sharp scream coming from the village.
She and Qin Mengyue quickly got up, put on their clothes and came out.
Qin Mengyue asked worriedly, "Feng He...what happened?"
Chen Fenghe tied on the white fox cloak Xiao Yunshuo had given her and walked outside, saying, "The sound seems to be coming from the village. Mom, you stay home and look after the three little ones. I'll go over and take a look and be back soon."
Qin Mengyue listened, nodded, and said, "Yes. Be careful."
When Chen Fenghe arrived at the village, he found that many villagers had been woken up. Many of them were holding farm tools such as sickles and hoes, and were running in one direction.
When Shen Fenghe saw Yang Baozong, she hurriedly called him and asked, "What happened?"
Seeing her, Yang Baozong stopped and said, "It turned out to be Miss Shen. Why did you come out too? I heard that there was a litter of four or five wild boars. Perhaps because there was no food to eat in the mountains in winter, they took the risk and brought their little wild boars to the village to find food. They directly knocked down the wall of the Zhu family's newly built warehouse and ran in to eat the Zhu family's rations. When the Zhu family woke up and saw it, they screamed. The litter of wild boars was frightened and rushed around. Old Zhu was injured in the leg by the wild boar's tusks and was bleeding. Other people in the Zhu family were also injured to varying degrees. The wild boar ran out of Old Zhu's house and started to run around in the village. Now the village chief is leading everyone to try to drive these beasts out of the yard!"
When Chen Fenghe heard it was a wild boar, she asked, "If it was a wild boar, why didn't you catch it and let it go? If you caught it, the whole village could share the boar meat alone. It would be enough to eat for several days, right?"
Yang Baozong couldn't help but laugh and cry when he heard her words: "My dear aunt, you women just think too simply. There are few people in our village. In the past, when we went into the mountains to hunt wild boars, we had to dig traps and lie in ambush first. We would only dare to go after the wild boar fell into the trap. Who would dare to go head-on with a strong and uninjured wild boar? With those long tusks, a single touch would leave a bloody hole!"
Yang Baozong said, already making a move to run forward: "Miss Shen, this wild boar is very ferocious, you should go home quickly. After we drive away the wild boars, if we can catch a little wild boar, you can come out and watch the fun. You see, the women in the village are all staying at home!"
As he spoke, the man had already run away.
Chen Fenghe naturally did not go back obediently, but ran towards the commotion with everyone else.
After a while, they saw a dozen men in the village driving a group of wild boars towards the path leading out of the village.
The wild boars were so frightened and violent that they had already lost control. Four big wild boars and six or seven small wild boars ran into the courtyard of an abandoned house in a panic.
The four wild boars were almost five or six feet long. Although they looked very thin due to lack of food, they still looked big. The male wild boars had two long and sharp tusks.
When everyone saw them running into the abandoned house, they became a little anxious.
The village chief stamped his feet and said, "What should we do? Find some people to climb over the wall and drive the wild boar out of the yard! Madam Qin's house is not far behind this house. If the wild boar breaks through the wall and rushes over, Madam Qin's house will be in danger!"
When Yang Baozong heard this, he immediately stepped forward and said, "I'll climb over the wall and get in."
Several other men who had helped Chen Fenghe with work and received wages before also volunteered to come out, went around the outside of the courtyard wall, and tried to climb over it to get in.
Everyone quickly moved aside, leaving the yard entrance clear, and formed a road formation to allow the wild boar to come out of the yard and out of the village, waiting nervously.
Just as Yang Baozong and others were about to climb over the wall, a man in the village, who might have been a hunter, suddenly shot the arrow in his hand towards the herd of wild boars with a "whoosh" sound, perhaps because he was nervous or something else!
A female wild boar was shot, screamed in pain, and rushed towards the man who shot the arrow angrily.
"Zheng Laosi! What are you doing!" the village chief shouted angrily.
Everyone was also shocked. They didn't care about the plan they had just made. They could only come forward with torches in hand, trying to scare away the angry wild boar.
However, the wild boar was extremely fast and rushed in front of the crowd in an instant, pointing its sharp fangs at everyone.
In the blink of an eye, Chen Fenghe suddenly snatched the bow and quiver from the hands of one of the villagers in the crowd, drew his bow and shot an arrow.
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