Lotus is pregnant, but she hasn't told anyone.
Although there was no doctor to take her pulse, after being nagged by her mother-in-law for so long, and having heard about the early pregnancy symptoms from other daughters-in-law, she knew that her period, which was half a month late, was likely due to pregnancy. The soreness she had experienced in the past two days only confirmed her suspicion.
This huge surprise made her uneasy, because her mother-in-law had said that she knew perfectly well whether she had slept with Xu Genqing or not.
For more than a month, she and Xu Genqing were frequently "working" outside, without her mother-in-law's knowledge.
If she heard that she was pregnant, who knows what nasty things she would say.
We must tell Xu Genqing immediately so he can go and talk to his mother.
Lianhua anxiously waited at home for Xu Genqing to return, but neither Xu Genqing nor Tian Gui were home at the time.
Under the drying shed of the warehouse, the village men squatted or stood, surrounding Jiang Zhi who was speaking.
Some women were also interested in these village affairs and listened from a distance, everyone was very excited.
Jiang Zhi held a booklet in her hand and said to everyone, "The first batch of corvée labor list from the county government has been released. Our village has already served our labor at the beginning of the year, so we don't need to worry about it anymore."
Xu Gen nodded: "Yes, we cut down trees and built several retaining walls to clear the area for the post station."
Previously, Xujia Village had performed corvée labor, clearing trees and creating an open space along the official road.
It was originally intended to be a post station, but Zhang Juntou took it over and turned it into an inspection station.
Jiang Zhi continued, "I heard from Inspector Zhang that the first batch of people to be assigned to perform corvée labor this time is from Lihua Town, numbering about a hundred. He told us to keep a close watch on our own and not cause any trouble. I'm planning to arrange for some people to guard the village and keep watch at night."
Xujia Village has a small population, and the sudden appearance of a hundred young men nearby is worrying, even with Zhang Juntou and his patrol team there. There's no doubt that things like harassing women and petty theft might happen.
This suggestion immediately garnered everyone's support, as no one wanted their stored grain to be stolen.
Xu Genqing said, "Village Chief Jiang, let's form a team and guard the various intersections every day."
Others chimed in, "Yes, Pear Blossom Town has its own militia, and the county seat has its own patrolmen. We're right next to the official road, so we should have a village militia too."
Migrants and rebels frequently attacked towns, and villages along the way, like Xujia Village, were also affected. After finally settling down, no one wanted to wander around anymore.
Jiang Zhi waited until they finished speaking before nodding and saying, "We need to organize the village guards, but it's not for you to guard the village."
Protecting our home is everyone's responsibility. The elderly and infirm may lack physical strength, but they have eyes and mouths; they can walk and sit at various intersections and report any unusual activity to the village.
Although this part causes suffering for the elderly, it is also the best way to save labor costs.
Li Laoshi said, "What's the point of having those people who can't even walk properly? I'll send Xiaoquan Qiangzi and Shi Houzi instead. Xiwazi is sharp-eyed and quick on his feet; he'll be back in no time if anything happens."
Among the crowd, several boys nodded repeatedly; with the onset of winter, there was less work to do in the fields.
Besides weeding in the fields every day, they also had to herd cattle and collect oak and tung seeds on the mountain. To Li Laoshi, guarding the village was something he liked even more.
Xu Changming was also listening in the crowd, but unlike the others, he was facing away from them.
Hearing Li Laoshi say that the old people were useless and that the children should guard the village, he was very unhappy and said in a muffled voice, "What can those little kids who haven't even had a drop of egg on their bottoms do? It's more important to go up the mountain to pick oak. If we can't climb the mountain, are we too weak to walk?"
For the villagers, going up the mountain to collect wild oaks is very important.
Although the family already had food, having gone hungry once, they dared not give up this life-saving food. Starting in October, whenever they had free time, they would collect barley and store it.
When Li Laoshi heard him interrupt, he immediately said loudly, "Old Master Changming can keep an eye on the village, so don't talk big and you'll get yourself into trouble."
Xu Changming stood up, glared at Li Laoshi, and said angrily, "I stand up and pee, and I keep my word! From now on, I'll guard the roadside and not allow outsiders to walk by! You just wait and see, Li Laoshi!"
After saying that, he stormed off.
Actually, Jiang Zhi's reminder to everyone to be careful in the future was just a small appetizer before the real event; she hadn't even gotten to the point yet, but one of them had already stormed off in anger.
However, that's alright. Let's get back to the main topic: the house repairs.
Jiang Zhi asked, "Which households need their houses repaired?" Immediately, someone answered, "Me! Me!"
Xu Genqing raised his hand high, afraid of being ignored, and even stood up to speak.
Repairing the house would make it more spacious, and he could be separated from his mother who always got up in the middle of the night to urinate. He couldn't stand it for even a day longer.
Jiang Zhi counted them briefly. There were several families, including Xu Gensheng and Xu Gen, Tian Gui, Xiucai, Wu Yang, Lin, and Shi. Some families had seven or eight main rooms, while others had one or two. Basically, every family needed to make repairs.
Everyone knows that such an opportunity is rare.
Winter is typically the time for house repairs in Bavaria, and during this busy year, crops don't require much attention.
It's also the season with the least rain. The light drizzle won't wet your clothes, and it's neither too hot nor too cold to work. Every family has already planned how many rooms they can repair.
The most important thing is that the government started building the post stations, which meant that bricks, stones and timber were about to be delivered.
“Okay, since everyone is going to repair their houses, I have a suggestion: let’s cut down the slopes near each house and build up more flat land.”
The houses in the city are arranged in rows, and it's convenient to walk around.
In our mountain village, it's impossible to arrange things neatly, but we can at least fix the areas in front of each house so that it's convenient for people to walk around.
In Bavaria County, due to land issues, people live in a dispersed manner with small clusters.
The area of land available for building houses varies from settlement to settlement, and the houses of each household also have different shapes due to the uneven terrain.
On a slightly spacious flat area, a "three-in-one" structure can be built.
That is, two side rooms extend from the main house at corners, forming a U-shape, with a courtyard in the middle.
The main room is located in the middle, with bedrooms on both sides. The side room at the corner is the kitchen, woodshed, pigsty, and storage room.
These "three-in-one" courtyards generally do not have gates or walls, but are instead sheltered by a bamboo grove, which can satisfy the privacy and ventilation of each household.
If the foundation is narrow, there is no traditional architectural concept. Instead of deliberately building "main hall" or "side room", the buildings are built according to the slope and curves. As long as the function meets the requirements of life, everything is done as one pleases.
Both styles of houses coexist in Bavaria. The choice of how to build a house is based on the terrain and environment. In short, the goal is to provide shelter and safety while also ensuring ventilation and protection from rain and sun.
Now, Xujia Village is in the same situation. Jiangzhi and a few other households live on flat ground and can barely set up a small "three-sided courtyard".
Outsiders like Tian Gui could only choose sites with high embankments and low slopes.
If the house is spacious, you'll need to go up steps inside.
Unless a flat area is dug out, this will inevitably involve a huge amount of work.
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