Chapter 123
In mid-September, the bluestone slabs in the courtyard were laid out. As we had discussed, we left a space about the length of an arm along the newly built blue brick wall, a place to plant flowers in the spring.
The family's vegetable garden was also divided into neat little plots, and the path for picking vegetables was paved with bluestone slabs.
This way, even when it rains, your shoes won't get dirty when you go to the vegetable garden to pick vegetables.
The courtyard is U-shaped, with a brand-new two-story wooden building in the very center. Each room has large windows, and the sun shines into the room, making it very warm.
On weekdays, the hall in the middle of the second floor has its windows wide open, allowing you to enjoy the mountain breeze, snacks, and the autumn scenery. Just thinking about it makes me feel incredibly comfortable.
When a few close friends come to visit, they can enjoy tea and the scenery in the hall on the second floor.
There are three rooms on the second floor. This week, Mu Jin is staying in the larger room on one side of the stairs.
On the other side of the mountain, a large window faces directly into the mountains, offering a pleasant view.
I'll move the table where I used to copy books to the window, so I can write and enjoy the view—a pleasure for everyone.
Wen Zhaoran and Wang Li lived on the other side. Wen Zhaoran's room was next to the mountain, and the view was slightly better than Wang Li's room.
The main room, where guests are received, is located in the very center of the first floor.
The first and second floors are similar, with two small rooms on one side and a large room on the other.
Although it's a small house, it's more than enough to accommodate two or three people.
If Zhou Si and Bai Qiqiu come to stay, they can rest in the two small rooms on the first floor. Zhou Lin specially made new wardrobes and two large beds for them.
The remaining large room was reserved for the unborn little peach.
When Wang Li finds a good man one day, Xiao Taozi can also live on the second floor, next to his uncle Zhaoran.
If Mu Bai comes to stay at our house for a while, he can stay with Wen Zhaoran or Wang Li. If he wants to live in a room by himself, he can stay in the big room on the first floor.
To the left of the courtyard gate are the two kitchens and the storeroom, and the two small back rooms near the gate are also on the same side.
The peach trees, and the family's vegetable garden, are all on this side.
The newly dug well is not far from the peach tree, making it very convenient to water the vegetable garden and cook in the kitchen.
To the right of the courtyard gate is a dye house that is slightly larger than the previous one. To make it easier to start a fire, a woodshed was built next to the dye house.
The poultry pen and the pigsty, expanded to six rooms, were built on this side.
The wooden floor was paved with planks that Zhou Lin had previously planed and painted.
The rest of the houses, whether it was the kitchen or other rooms, or even the newly built pigsty, were all paved with bluestone slabs.
The open spaces reserved for planting flowers are mostly around the front yard wall, and there are also two open spaces for planting flowers along the back yard wall.
A large open space in the backyard was paved with bluestone slabs. Grains and ramie harvested from the fields were transported here through the back door to dry, which was very convenient.
The cattle pen for our big yellow ox was also built in the backyard.
Bai Qiqiu walked around the new house and only sighed with two words: luxurious!
Mu Jin and Zhou Lin chose September 16th, an auspicious day for all things, to move.
Aside from Mu Lingyun, Mu Sheng, Mu Zhaoye, and Zhou Fengnian, there were quite a few men from the village who came to help.
Although there were many people, they had bought quite a few things while staying at the Qian family's house. The ten piglets that had just been born had to be carried back one by one in a basket.
Because everyone was moving back to the new house, it took a whole day to get things done.
Zhou Lin had arranged everything perfectly: a wardrobe, a desk, and even a small cabinet specifically for storing snacks.
Hibiscus, supporting her belly, looked at the autumn scenery outside the window, her joy barely concealed.
"Thank you all for your hard work today. Remember to come to the housewarming party on September 20th."
The dozen or so men nodded in agreement. “Jin’er, we will definitely come over as soon as possible. You two must buy some good meat and vegetables to stay in such a nice courtyard.”
Mu Jin smiled and said, "Building a new house has cost us all our savings, and we don't have much money left. But I'll ask A Lin to give us an advance on a month's wages so we can treat everyone to a good meal. The day after tomorrow, I'll have A Lin buy a whole pig to treat everyone, and we'll make sure there's plenty of meat and vegetables for everyone who helped out."
"This courtyard is so nice, it must have cost a lot of money. But your husband is capable and can make money. I'll keep my appetite in check these next few days."
Everyone laughed. Since they weren't family, they naturally wouldn't feel bad about Mu Jin and Zhou Lin's money.
Seeing that it was getting late, they didn't stay long and gradually went home.
They've really seen what Zhou Lin's newly built courtyard and house are like today, and they'll definitely have to go back and tell their wives about it.
Zhou Si and Mu Nianjun didn't leave; they helped Mu Jin and the others clean the yard.
Zhou Lin seemed to have inexhaustible energy. Before moving yesterday, he meticulously wiped the wooden house inside and out with a new cloth until it was spotless.
After most people left, he cleaned it carefully again, taking great care of it.
Even the few brick houses were not overlooked, and the entire courtyard was finally transformed before nightfall.
Mu Jin moved the flowers that Zhou Lin had bought a few days ago to the courtyard wall.
Zhou Lin stood in the yard, broom in hand, looking at the brand-new two-story building in front of him, and sighed, "In just a year and a half, my elder brother's family has surpassed most people in terms of living standards."
He had personally witnessed Zhou Lin and Mu Jin's separation of the family property; they didn't even have a single tael of silver.
With the couple working together, although they are not wealthy, they are no longer starving or freezing, living hand to mouth.
Mu Jin gently punched him, "You know perfectly well that most of it was spent on Zhao Ran's money. How could your older brother and I afford to build such a nice courtyard?"
Zhou Si smiled and said, "Now, even without considering this courtyard, my elder brother and I are much better off than before. I am very happy to see that."
Mu Jin smiled gently, as it was getting late and there wasn't much good wine or food to offer.
I had no choice but to use the eggs that I had at home for the time being to make a plate of stir-fried green peppers and eggs, a big bowl of cabbage, radish, pork and vermicelli, a plate of stir-fried radish, and a dozen or so boiled salted duck eggs to serve a simple meal.
"Jin'er, are you really going to buy a pig? If you ask me, even half a pig is too much. We should save some money."
Mu Nianjun frowned slightly, feeling that buying a pig was a real waste.
Mu Bai nodded in agreement, "Brother, I think it's too much. We can't finish it all, and it's not cold enough to keep it for long."
Mu Jin smiled and said, "This is my plan: keep half of the pig, and divide the remaining half among our families."
Bai Qiqiu smiled and said, "We'll all share in the joy of our elder brother's family."
Mu Nianjun's brows relaxed slightly. He thought about how Mu Jin and Zhou Lin were making a decent living off vegetables and eggs these days, and they were earning quite a bit of money over the course of a year. He didn't need to worry so much about the couple going broke over a pig.
I couldn't help but add, "No matter how much money you make, you still have to be careful with your spending. There's an old saying that goes, 'You won't go poor from eating or dressing, but you will go poor from not planning ahead.'"
Mu Jin smiled and nodded. "Brother Nianjun, I know."
After dinner, once everyone had gone home, only a tiny red tip of the setting sun remained.
Mu Jin pulled Wen Zhaoran aside and whispered, "Zhaoran, tell your elder brother the truth, how much silver did it cost to build the new house in total?"
When Mu Jin first moved in today, she felt that according to what Wen Zhaoran had told her before, seventy taels of silver wouldn't be enough to build such a nice courtyard.
Because there were many people during the day, it was not appropriate to stop him to ask questions. Only after everyone left did I find a moment of free time.
Wen Zhaoran touched her pert little nose and said weakly, "It's...it's only about seventy taels."
Mu Jin remained silent, only gazing at him.
Wen Zhaoran seemed to have given up entirely, "Oh, brother, the roof's already up, why worry about how much money it cost? As long as we're comfortable living here, that's all that matters."
Mu Jin sighed, "You spent so much money, your brother-in-law and I really feel bad about it."
Wen Zhaoran waved his hand, "Brother, I've said before, don't always say such polite things. I'll say it again, if it weren't for you and brother-in-law taking me in, I don't know where I would be wandering as a lost soul now."
Mu Jin frowned slightly, "You know we saved you..."
"Oh dear, elder brother, I'll only spend this much money on you and your husband. Any more than that, and I won't have any left. From now on, you can't even let me spend money on you two. You have to take good care of me and treat me like your own younger brother."
Mu Jin chuckled and gently poked his forehead. "You're already my and A Lin's younger brother."
Wen Zhaoran laughed and said, "Since he is my own brother, it's nothing to spend some money on my own brother."
Mu Jin sighed helplessly, "Even close brothers keep clear accounts, you..."
"Big brother, we're different. We're brothers who are closer than blood brothers."
Mu Jin smiled and said nothing more, but secretly added two more loads to Wen Zhaoran's dowry.
It was the first time living in an apartment building, and everyone in the family was incredibly excited.
I tossed and turned, unable to sleep, until late at night when things finally quieted down a bit.
Mu Jin leaned against Zhou Lin's chest and whispered, "Big Hou'er, find a pig in the village, and have Qi Qiu help you catch some fish. That will be enough meat and vegetables. For the rest of the dishes, just use cabbage and radishes."
The wind howled outside, but the couple weren't afraid of the house collapsing at all.
The wood used for the wooden building was all high-quality cypress wood that Zhou Lin found in the mountains, along with other good woods, making it sturdy, durable, and beautiful.
Zhou Lin put his arm around Mu Jin's shoulder and said, "Zhao Ran loves to eat mutton from the northern frontier. I'll buy about ten catties tomorrow and make mutton offal soup. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be able to live in such a nice house."
Mu Jin nodded gently, "I asked Zhao Ran today how much silver he spent, but he didn't say. However, I estimate it must have been over a hundred taels."
Although Zhou Lin carried the timber from the mountains for the wooden building at a low cost, the bricks, bluestone slabs, and red tiles were all bought with real money.
“I was thinking that when he gets married, we should give him more gifts as a dowry,” Mu Jin added.
"That's natural."
Zhou Lin laughed and said, "I'll use the best wood to make him a few cabinets."
Mu Jin's lips curled slightly. "Mm."
As the wind blew outside, Mu Jin and Zhou Lin drifted off to sleep while chatting.
Night Owl didn't sleep in the doghouse tonight; instead, he slept in the clean and tidy yard, with Little Shadow nestled in his arms.
As for Fatty Huang, he somehow climbed onto the roof of the wooden building and was enjoying the view.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com