Chapter 219 Is there anything else you need, sister-in-law?
"Next is the drainage for the bathroom. Make a hole in the outside of the wall and use bamboo tubes to drain it out. The outhouse should also be built next to the room, so that it's not too far to go down to the outhouse."
Jiang Nuanzhi had considered making a latrine inside the house, but the weather in the desolate region was too cold. Even if a fire pit was set up and kept burning, it would be difficult to keep clean.
Moreover, ceramic toilets didn't exist at that time, and she couldn't find suitable pipes, fearing they would accumulate dirt and grime, making the house smell bad. She was also worried about various snakes, insects, and rodents crawling into the house through the sewage pipes. So she simply decided against such a complicated solution.
As long as the bathwater is drained, there shouldn't be a big problem.
The toilets will be built outside, so we'll try to make them spacious and bright. We'll build several separate toilet rooms, one for men and one for women. She's seen examples of toilets built in rural areas nowadays; some even use mud to build toilets, so being outside means we don't have to worry about cleanliness. We can also put animal hides on top of the toilets to keep them warm. However, we'll have to see how it goes in practice.
Li Rong hadn't actually imagined the house could be built like this. Even though he had written it down, he still kept looking at Jiang Nuanzhi's manuscript. He couldn't help but feel a bit of anticipation.
However, he couldn't help but wonder how Ah Nuan knew so much. The things she was talking about were things that Li Rong had never even heard of before.
There are many noble mansions in Kyoto, such as the former general's mansion, which was originally the residence of a prince and was later bestowed upon him. However, the toilets and bathrooms were not very convenient and required many people to serve him.
Ah Nuan's things are indeed extremely convenient.
There's also the issue of keeping warm and warding off the cold, including the matter of keeping the ground dragon, which Ah Nuan seemed to handle with ease.
The places where Li Rong fought before were harsh, cold borderlands, even colder than the Great Wilderness. I just learned a little about earthen ceilings. Locals mostly build heated kang beds and have heated walls. I didn't see anyone with an earthen ceiling.
However, this also applies to their home; as long as there is enough firewood, they can ensure sufficient warmth.
But how could Ah Nuan know so much about this?
Could it be that the Xie family, such a prestigious and wealthy family, would actually teach these things?
He sighed inwardly, realizing that compared to such a prestigious family with a century-long history, they were indeed far inferior.
For some reason, I remembered that Ah Nuan seemed to treat Xie Liangchen, that down-on-his-luck prince, quite differently before.
For some reason, he felt a strange tightness in his chest, a feeling he had never experienced before. He patted his chest, but it didn't help. Suddenly, he reached out and said, "Anuan, can you take a look at me? I'm suddenly feeling unwell."
Jiang Nuan was taken aback and subconsciously touched his wrist: "What's wrong?"
Li Rong thought about it seriously: "I suddenly felt very anxious, and my heart felt heavy and a bit suffocated."
Jiang Nuanzhi took the pulse of both wrists in turn: "No, apart from your heart beating a little fast, there is no other problem."
Li Rong touched his chest: "Are you alright?"
Jiang Nuanzhi nodded: "Okay, if you're still feeling unwell, you should rest at home first. I'd like to go and take a look at the new house."
Li Rong: "Since there's nothing else, let's go together."
"good."
"All four Lin brothers are here?"
When Jiang Nuanzhi arrived at her newly purchased house, she was stunned for a moment.
Besides the four brothers from the Lin family next door, there were a few familiar faces, but Jiang Nuanzhi couldn't recall their names.
The others greeted them when they saw them, and then went back to their work.
"Well, the Lin brothers are quite strong, so I called them over. The two over there are the Wu brothers; they're also good hunters, and quite skilled. These two are the village head's sons. Young people are rare to find, so I called them all over as well. I've paid these eight people fifteen copper coins a day."
Jiang Nuanzhi looked over and saw that these people were very quick and efficient, and just as Li Rong had said, they were truly honest people. Perhaps there were few cunning and deceitful people in this era, because in such a short time, they had almost completely demolished the house.
They are currently clearing away the soil and leveling the ground.
Especially when she saw her and Li Rong coming over, she was even too embarrassed to go up and greet them, and she obviously worked even harder.
"It seems like we should be able to finish cleaning by tomorrow," Jiang Nuanzhi said, then asked, "So, should we provide for their lunch?"
Li Rong shook his head: "Originally it was ten coins a day, but later I let everyone choose. Ten coins a day means lunch is provided, or you can take an extra fifteen coins and bring your own food."
Jiang Nuanzhi nodded: "Then I'll make a pot of licorice soup later. It's hot today, and I don't want everyone to get too hot."
Li Rong nodded: "Okay."
The two took out the blueprints again and repeatedly finalized the details. Just as they were about to finish, they heard a commotion coming from the doorway.
"Listen up, people of Qingquan Village! You have fifteen minutes to hurry back and prepare the silver. The imperial court is coming to collect the poll tax. This year, the tax has increased. For ordinary farmers, it has increased from eight hundred cash to one tael of silver per person, and for convicts, it has increased from one tael of silver to two taels of silver. Hurry up!"
The new house is right at the entrance of the village. Building a house in the village is a novelty in itself, and many villagers gathered around to watch the excitement.
Now that the government officials have come into the village, seeing that there are many people here, they naturally start shouting in this direction.
"Hurry up, you all tell each other. In a quarter of an hour, we will be collecting taxes from house to house."
These words drew complaints from those around him.
"Why are these taxes so high?"
"Yes, yes, I don't know if we have enough money at home."
"Exactly, wouldn't this be a matter of life and death?"
"Sigh, never mind, let's hurry back and take a look. I'm afraid there will be people selling their children again this year."
"Brother Li, we're afraid we'll have to go back," said Brother Wu and his group as they approached. The men working in the courtyard hurriedly put down their tasks. Unlike their energetic demeanor just moments before, everyone's faces were now filled with worry.
"Everyone, please go back." Li Rong glanced at the sky. "Take a break at noon, and come back after you've had your lunch."
"Thank you, Brother Li." Brother Wu said, wiping the sweat from his face, and the group hurriedly prepared to leave.
"Wait a minute," Jiang Nuanzhi called out to the group.
Brother Wu, who was in the lead, froze for a moment and subconsciously frowned as he looked over.
"I wonder if my sister-in-law has any other instructions?"
Everyone knows what's going on with Li Rong, this disgraced wife; she's not someone to be trifled with. After all, she's now essentially working for someone else, and if she were to cause trouble, it would be difficult to know what to do.
Of course, almost everyone behind him had the same thought, but they didn't know what to say to a woman, so they remained silent.
The village head's youngest son snorted disdainfully. He had heard his younger sister talk about this woman before, and he felt extremely disgusted with her. He thought to himself, "What a waste that Brother Li, such a fine young man, has married such a woman."
(End of this chapter)
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