When the topic of high school came up, Zhao Heng was a little worried. To be honest, he felt that his current life was very pleasant. He taught children while enjoying a sweet romance with Xuehua. Wasn't that wonderful? In the future, he would settle down in Daling Village, have a bunch of children with Xuehua, and live happily ever after. What was wrong with that?
Zhao Heng remained silent, but Liang Shuyan saw through his thoughts and said bluntly, "If you don't want to study, then take Xuehua back with you. But there's no need for you to come to Daling Village again. Your father sent you to my house hoping you would become successful, not for you to come to Daling Village to find a wife!"
Upon hearing Liang Shuyan's words, Zhao Heng hurriedly said, "Auntie, please, please don't say that. I won't leave you. I'll go to school, and I'll listen to you in everything, please. Auntie, please don't send Zhao Heng away!"
Upon arriving at the magistrate's residence, Liang Shuyan said to Zhao Heng, "Alright, you can go back now. Dashan and I will go make some furniture. You talk to your father nicely. You haven't been back for so long, so say something nice and don't make him angry, okay?"
Zhao Heng nodded, turned to leave, but then grabbed Liang Shuyan's hand: "Auntie, you still care about my father, don't you?"
"Hurry up, stop fooling around!"
Zhao Heng stuck out his tongue and ran towards the magistrate's residence, seemingly with something stuffed in his arms.
“Dashan, what is Zhao Heng stuffing in his arms? He hasn’t mentioned what he brought for his father along the way, but he keeps talking about his relationship with Xuehua.”
Jin Dashan didn't know whether he should tell his mother about their private conversation. After looking at his mother's serious face, Dashan finally told her the truth.
"I heard that the shoes were made by Xuehua for the county magistrate! Zhao Heng can't wait to go home and give the shoes to his father!"
Liang Shuyan's heart sank: "How could this child give shoes to an adult? Shoes are like evil..."
Jin Dashan drove his horse-drawn carriage to West Back Street in town, where people buy furniture. The street was bustling with activity, as everyone there was a furniture maker. Horse-drawn carriages, oxcarts, and donkey carts were parked along the side of the street, and outside each shop, there were several pieces of furniture that were being sold at discounted prices. These pieces of furniture were either old or had some defects and were being sold urgently.
The most famous one was Wang the Cripple's Furniture Shop on West Back Street. There was no one standing at his door, so Liang Shuyan led Jin Dashan over.
Wang the Cripple was a carpenter himself, and right now he was holding a tool and hammering away, as if he was making furniture for someone else.
Upon seeing them enter, Wang the Cripple greeted them, "Excuse me, are you here to have furniture made?"
Liang Shuyan nodded: "Yes, our new house is finished, and I want to have some furniture made. It might be a large quantity. Can I take a look at the finished products you have made first?"
Wang the Cripple pointed to a wooden table that had been finished. It was square and sturdy, with patterns on the corners. The chair back was also openwork, with a thin layer of lacquer on it, the color of the original solid wood.
Liang Shuyan immediately understood why this furniture store had such a good reputation. It was mainly because Wang the Cripple was an honest man. The furniture in this store had much thicker boards, and you could see some scraps and pieces. Moreover, you couldn't see any boards that were infested with insects.
Liang Shuyan found a stool and sat down, smiling as she said, "I'll just have the original kind, a dining table in the dining room, a bit bigger than this one. My family is large, so we need two wardrobes in the main room, one for clothes and one for bedding and blankets, and another table for entertaining guests. We'll also put two large wardrobes in the east and west rooms!"
Wang the Cripple put down his work and said seriously, "Then, when are you free? You can let me come to your house to take the measurements, and then bring the wood to your house to make it. That way, once it's done, I can just leave it at your house without having to move it around, saving me from scratches and all the trouble."
Liang Shuyan readily agreed: "Okay, since that's the case, then it's settled. We mainly hope you can make it look nice and sturdy. Price is not a problem."
Wang the Cripple called his wife down: "You watch the shop. I need to go with this customer. Also, tell Da Hu to deliver the prepared timber directly to the Jin family in Daling Village!"
Wang the Cripple followed Liang Shuyan and Dashan back to their new house in Daling Village.
As soon as he entered the gate, Wang the Cripple was stunned: "Wow, I've never seen such a grand house before. Will I dirty the floor if I go in like this?"
Liang Shuyan waved her hand and said, "Don't worry, the house isn't ready yet, no need to be so fussy. Come with me, this is the kitchen, take a look at the dimensions!"
In the kitchen, a row of modern cabinets was installed, but instead of wood, they were made of bricks and covered with beautiful stone fragments, making them look very exquisite.
Wang the Cripple squatted down and examined it for a while, his eyes gleaming: "Did you make this? Or..."
Liang Shuyan smiled and said, "I didn't do it. I hired someone to do it, but I came up with the design myself."
"Wouldn't it be great if all the cabinets could be made of wood?"
Liang Shuyan thought of modern kitchen cabinets, with wooden doors and a layer of boards and stone on top. If Wang the Cripple could make such cabinets, it would surely be a new business opportunity, and the kitchens of ancient people could be completely transformed.
"Yes, that's good. Actually, since you're in the timber business, you could definitely make cabinets like this. Gradually, everyone will use these cabinets. They're convenient for storing things, and there are a lot of small items in the kitchen. These can hold a lot of things and are also aesthetically pleasing. Isn't that great?"
Wang the Cripple looked at Liang Shuyan gratefully and couldn't help but praise her: "I really didn't expect that an ordinary peasant woman like you could come up with such a good idea. Since you came up with such a solution for me, I'll give you a discount!"
Wang the Cripple measured the dimensions of the cabinets in the kitchen, the main house, and the east and west side bedrooms, then went to the yard and followed Liang Shuyan on a tour of her yard.
The two men working in the yard glanced at Wang the Cripple and said in surprise, "Madam, have you invited the famous furniture maker from town to make furniture for us?"
Upon hearing the word "Ruren," Wang the Cripple hurriedly turned around: "What? You, you are the Tea Ruren bestowed by the Emperor?"
Liang Shuyan was a little confused. This woman's identity was never easily revealed. She smiled awkwardly and said, "What do you mean by 'woman'? Just call me Aunt Dashan. I feel more comfortable with that."
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