"That's my maternal grandfather's house up ahead," Xu Qing said with a smile, pointing to the thatched cottage in front of her.
Qiu Dafu and Wu Erhu followed closely, looking into the distance.
Qiu Dafu had assumed that Xu's father-in-law's house would at least be decent, but it turned out to be just two small, dilapidated thatched huts.
It's almost identical to their old courtyard.
However, looking at the surrounding environment, there is a small lake near the thatched hut, and behind the lake, there are layers of low hills.
This place, with its green hills and clear waters, is a great place to retire.
"Qing'er, you've come." The speaker was an elderly woman with white hair, Madam Meng.
With a kind and gentle smile, Old Madam Meng stepped out of the thatched hut.
Xu Qing was delighted and called out, "Grandmother."
Then, Old Meng, leaning on his cane, slowly emerged from the bushes ahead. "Qing'er, why did you bring so many people with you today?"
As he asked the question, he looked at Qiu Dafu.
Upon seeing the two elders, Xu Qing smiled and stepped forward to help them up, then began to introduce Qiu Dafu and his wife, explaining her purpose in detail.
"I invited Brother Qiu here today because I want to repair your thatched hut."
With a smile, Madam Meng held Xu Qing's little hand and said, "Qing'er is so thoughtful. Your maternal grandfather was talking about this morning that he wanted to go up and fix the roof himself."
Old Meng: "Why can't I go up? I'm still very healthy."
Old Man Meng may be old, but his heart is not.
After saying that, he looked at Qiu Dafu and said, "Hey Dafu, you two should rest for a while."
Madam Meng brought over a pot of hot tea and poured it for Qiu Dafu and his companion.
Qiu Dafu: "Grandma Meng, I can do it myself." The Meng family elders were sincere and warm-hearted, especially Grandpa Meng, who pulled Qiu Dafu aside and began chatting.
How did you and Qing'er meet?
"I know him from Huaiyuan."
"How long have you been a craftsman?"
"It's been more than ten years."
"It's been so long, so your workmanship must be excellent. My thatched hut has been here for decades. If you have time, could you help me build a row of houses near the hut, and also build some pavilions and towers, simple and unpretentious as you wish?"
Madam Meng nodded in agreement, then went inside and out again, handing Qiu Dafu a blueprint. "This is my childhood home, and it was built just like this."
For his wife's sake, Old Master Meng had long wanted to renovate the place in this way, but the surrounding craftsmen all disliked his location because it was remote and they couldn't get in with oxcarts or anything like that, so they all politely declined his offer.
“Well… Grandpa Meng, I promised Lord Xu that I would repair the city walls and moat for Huaiyuan.”
"Is that so? This is a huge project." Being recognized by his son-in-law made Old Meng feel even more that Qiu Dafu was a good craftsman.
He sighed with regret. "Alas, my wife, I fear I will never be able to fulfill the wish I promised you in this lifetime."
Seeing Grandpa Meng's expression darken, Qiu Dafu looked at Wu Erhu and said, "Grandpa Meng, I promise you. However, I can't supervise the work all the time."
Old Meng laughed and patted Qiu Dafu on the shoulder, "It's alright, I'm here." He was idle all day and was worried about having nothing to do.
Today's visit to Qingyun has unexpectedly led Qiu Dafu to form a close friendship with someone much older than him.
Over the next few hours, he walked around the house, and under Old Meng's guidance, went up to the roof and began to make serious repairs.
Although the thatched hut was dilapidated, the tree trunk on the roof was a later repair, and it was still sturdy, only a few years old. Qiu Dafu and Wu Erhu worked together to replace the roof with mud from the mountain and also laid a layer of tiles.
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