Chapter Forty-Five
"The small earthen stove in this kitchen has to be dismantled. We need to renovate the inside of the house with yellow mud first, and then build a stove platform."
After strolling around the house for a while, Uncle Huang stood in the yard with his hands behind his back and said to Mu Jin.
"Let's do as you say, Uncle Huang," Mu Jin said with a smile.
When Zhou Lin returns, we'll have him set up two small ones in the yard for temporary use.
“It will take three to five days to build this earthen stove, and it will need to be aired out for another five or six days. When you use it for the first time, you should burn it on a low flame for an hour. Your stove room won’t be usable for the next few days.”
After thinking for a moment, Uncle Huang reminded Mu Jin that building a stove was not something that could be done in a day.
Mu Jin understood; it seemed she would have to wait a few days before using the new pot.
They could dig at the foot of Huangni Mountain, and Mujin went to the hunter's house to buy some straw.
With many chores to do at home, Mu Lingyun hadn't visited Zhou Si for some time.
He didn't want those few copper coins at first, but in the end he couldn't persuade Mu Jin otherwise.
"Brother, I'll help you pull it over."
Mu Lingyun took the copper coin, put the two bundles of straw on the cart, placed the cart rope in front of him, and went home with Mu Jin.
The kitchen cabinets were moved to an empty room, and Mu Jin thoroughly cleaned the kitchen.
Mu Lingyun pulled a cart with Zhou Si to the foot of the mountain to transport some yellow mud, which they then brought to the yard.
With everything prepared, Uncle Huang began mixing the mud. Mu Jin watched for a while, and with Zhou Si around, she went back to compost.
Uncle Huang has been building earthen stoves for most of his life. Although he is getting old, he is still very quick and nimble.
Hibiscus is piled with fertilizer, its mind preoccupied with something.
Yellow mud is something you can dig up if you want it. Mix it with straw, and it will make the house sturdy. The floor of the Zhou family's old house is mostly dirt, which is uneven and makes it easy to get your shoes dirty.
Thinking of her mother's home, she remembered that the house was covered with a thick layer of yellow mud and straw, and the floor inside was solid. Any holes were patched up, and the mud didn't stick to her shoes much.
Thinking about it, Mu Jin took off the cloth and hurried to the kitchen to find Uncle Huang.
"Paving the floor? I was afraid you'd think it was too expensive. I haven't even told you yet, and you've already thought of it yourself. My family used yellow mud mixed with rice straw and chaff to pave the floor. And let me tell you, it's really sturdy and compact. The floor inside the house never gets damp."
Mu Jin smiled and said, "My family did it the same way, so I thought I'd take advantage of the renovation to fix it all at once."
Uncle Huang thought for a moment, then planted the wooden shovel on the ground, looking as if he wanted to reminisce about the past, with a hint of nostalgia in his expression.
"The land of your mother's family was also laid by your Uncle Huang. You weren't born yet at that time. When I was young, I liked to wander around and learned from the villagers in the nearby Shangjing area. The houses there were mostly built with a layer of pebbles on the ground and yellow mud mixed with straw. I saw that it worked well, so I spent some money to learn the trick."
"I knew you looked like a well-traveled and knowledgeable man, you must have traveled all over the country and seen a lot of the world when you were young."
Huang Dabo's eye wrinkles deepened. "Hey, I've never seen the world. I've just been to a few more places than the rest of the village. To be honest, I didn't intend to make money this way. But when I returned to the village, I first set up a shop for my family. Later, when the villagers saw how effective it was, most of them begged me to set up shops for them, except for a few who thought it was too expensive."
Mu Jin smiled and said, "It's a good thing. Everyone can see it clearly. If it weren't for you, Uncle Huang, I don't know when the villagers would have been able to put it up. This money should be yours. I'll add the money to your account later."
Uncle Huang was overjoyed to hear this. "I would ask for a hundred coins from other people, but for you, seventy coins will do."
Mu Jin smiled and said, "Then thank you very much, Uncle Huang."
After piling up the fertilizer, hibiscus will sprinkle some manure water from time to time. After about a month, it can be spread on the ground.
When Zhou Lin returned, Uncle Huang had already gone home. Because he got along well with Mu Jin, he didn't ask for money and happily built two small stoves for him in the yard using the leftover yellow mud. These past few days, he has been cooking in the yard.
Because of the need to pave the floor, the dining table and chairs were also moved to the yard. They will be moved back into the empty house after dinner to avoid them getting damaged by the rain.
Early the next morning, Uncle Huang arrived early. Mu Jin helped mix the yellow mud, while Zhou Si carried a bucket to the river to fetch water.
After feeding the chickens and ducks, Wen Zhaoran pulled up the newly grown weeds in the vegetable garden.
The yard had been uninhabited for a long time, and it was overgrown with weeds, which had left behind a lot of grass seeds.
Because we have to weed from time to time, if we're not careful, the weeds will grow faster than the vegetables.
The same applies to the fields; every two or three days, the hibiscus trees need to be weeded.
Zhou Lin took the vegetables to town, while the family members each did their own work and were busy with their own tasks.
"Oh no, Jin-ge'er, Lin-xiaozi, you two hurry back to your parents' house! Your fourth brother fell into the water and was rescued by a young man. The two of them are in a sorry state, and that young man is forcing your fourth brother to marry him! Right now, your family is going to be in chaos. You'd better go home and check on things!"
A woman rushed in, panting heavily, and shouted as soon as she entered.
“Your parents are furious. Even though you've separated the family, Lin is still the eldest son. With such a thing happening in the family, it would be really inexcusable not to go back.”
The woman paused for a moment before speaking.
Mu Jin put down the wooden shovel and handed the woman a bowl of water. "Auntie, I know. A Lin went to town and isn't home. I'll pack up and go over there."
The woman took a sip of water. "Can you manage by yourself?"
Mu Jin smiled and said, "Auntie, since ancient times, marriage has always been arranged by parents and matchmakers. Even if A Lin were here, he wouldn't have been able to make any decisions in the past."
The woman gave an awkward smile, her eyes scanning the yard. "Are you renovating the house?"
"Let's go fix the stove, Auntie. We'll go right now."
Mu Jin was annoyed. He recognized the woman; she was Aunt Mu, who lived next to the Zhou family. She was alright, but she was too nosy.
If she hadn't come, he would have just pretended not to know anything about it, since he lived far from the village.
Now that he's come here, he has no choice but to go. In the past, Zhou Wushi might have scolded him along with her in her anger.
He showed no sign of it on his face, secretly relieved that Zhou Si had just been called out by Mu Lingyun and wasn't there, so he didn't have to go with him to get scolded.
When Mu Jin arrived at the Zhou family's house, the courtyard was in complete chaos.
Zhou Si, who had just been feeling fortunate at Mu Jin's words, stood next to Zhou Wu Shi and supported her.
In the ensuing chaos, the slap that was meant for the boy landed on his face instead, leaving five finger marks.
Mu Lingyun quickly pulled Zhou Si aside and protected her behind him, his gaze towards Zhou Wushi carrying a hint of hostility.
Ignoring everything else, Zhou Wu pointed at the young man and scolded, "Look at you, without that red mark on your forehead, who would treat you like a boy? My youngest son is a scholar, what kind of beautiful woman can't he marry in the future?! Marry you? You're ugly, you've got a dream!"
To everyone's surprise, the young man not only didn't get angry when he heard this, but he also laughed.
“Auntie is right. It’s because I don’t look like a young man that I wanted to find a man who does. Fate is so wonderful. I saved Zhou Qiang, and he looks just like me. I don’t want a dowry. I got a husband for free. Uncle and Auntie, you should be happy.”
Upon hearing this, Zhou Laosan and Zhou Wushi were so angry they almost fainted.
As soon as Mu Jin walked to Mu Bai's side, who had come to watch the commotion at some point, he grabbed her sleeve.
"Brother, don't go any further in. Just watch from here to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. Just now, Brother Si got slapped."
Mu Bai pulled Mu Jin along, glancing at the boy and then at Zhou Wu Shi, thoroughly amused.
He whispered in Mulan's ear, "Big brother, do you remember when I told you before that I went to Uncle's house and saw the refugees who came to our village?"
Mu Jin nodded, then looked down at him. "Is he a refugee?"
Mu Bai nodded heavily. "Just as I said, that handsome man had a dirty face and messy hair. I didn't look closely, but he turned out to be a young man."
Upon hearing this, Mu Jin carefully examined the young man. If he were a man, he would be handsome, but as for the young man, he was not delicate enough.
Then the young man added fuel to the fire, saying, "Uncle and Aunt, your son touched you in the water, and we hugged each other. The deed is done. Don't worry, I will treat Zhou Qiang well and will also take care of you two elders."
Zhou Wu retorted angrily, "Do we need your filial piety?!"
Zhou Laosan's expression was somber. "The original five taels of silver as a thank-you gift has been increased to ten taels. With this amount of silver in hand, there will be plenty of men who want to marry you."
The young man waved his hand, "I already said, I don't want money. It's rare to meet a man who suits my taste. No amount of money will do."
Zhou Wu was furious, clutching her chest, "You...you are truly shameless!"
"The village chief is here! The village chief is here!"
Now that Mu Jin has married into the Zhou family and has some kinship with Village Chief Mu, Zhou Laosan suddenly felt a little more confident.
Unexpectedly, before the village chief could even speak, the young man remained calm and collected, seemingly fearless and ready to take the plunge.
"Don't try to persuade me. Saving someone's life is a debt of gratitude that should be repaid with one's own body. That's how it is in those stories. If you push me too far, I'll go to the county government office in town and ask the magistrate to make a decision. At that time, it will be unknown whether Zhou Qiang can continue his studies."
Upon hearing this, neither Zhou Wushi nor Zhou Laosan dared to make any rash moves.
They looked at Village Chief Kim with hopeful eyes, hoping that he could uphold justice.
As soon as the young man opened his mouth, Mu Jin felt that he must have been educated.
Since Mu Jin was already there, she figured she should show some "filial piety."
He patted Mu Bai's hand that was gripping his sleeve, looking as if he wanted to help Zhou Wushi and the others solve their problems, and stepped forward.
He smiled and said, "Young man, I am Zhou Qiang's elder brother. Marriage is a serious matter and cannot be taken lightly. What is your name? Where do you live? Are you engaged? How old are you?"
That young man laughed heartily, “Big brother, you are quite a beauty. My name is Bai Qiqiu. I was born in autumn. My family is from the northern frontier. My fiancé died of illness on the way to escape. I am eighteen years old now.”
You can say that they will answer any question.
"You're eighteen?! And you've been engaged?! My son is only fifteen?! I beg you, please let him go, okay?"
Bai Qiqiu laughed and said, "Auntie, it's perfectly normal for an eighteen-year-old to have a marriage contract. If my fiancé hadn't passed away, your son wouldn't have had a chance to marry me. Besides, a young man in his thirties is destined to be rich. My mother had my fortune told, and she said I'm destined to bring good fortune to my husband. Zhou Qiang won't lose out by marrying me."
Onlookers: "..."
This sounds so unbelievable. If she's a lucky charm for her husband, why did her fiancé die?
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