The villagers knew that their bountiful harvest was all thanks to the blessing of the "Goddess of Harvest." The threshing machines and blowers, once in use, saved them a great deal of suffering, and the grain was harvested several days ahead of schedule.
After a year of hunger, their stomachs finally dared to eat a little more. Fengnian's younger brother, a student from her maternal family, was going to teach the village children to read—something they had never dared to dream of in their lives.
Song Anxin responded with a smile, chatting with familiar women from time to time. She was getting more and more used to this kind of life.
Song Anxin walked to the entrance of the village head's courtyard, where Village Head Lin happened to be in his own yard. She stepped inside and went straight to the point:
"Uncle Village Head, I'm here. I'd like to ask you for a favor."
Lin Lizheng turned his head and saw her, saying, "Fengnian's mother, don't be so polite with me. You are the savior of our family's eldest son. Just tell me what you need."
Song Anxin didn't mince words and said, "It's like this, I plan to set up my business on that wasteland behind, so I need twenty-nine men to help us build a workshop."
She planned to invite thirty people, with one spot reserved for her eldest brother.
Lin Lizheng exclaimed in surprise, "Then there's no need to invite so many people, you...!"
Before Lin Lizheng could finish speaking, Song Anxin quickly said, "Uncle Lizheng, I can't wait any longer. I need it to be finished in the next few days, preferably in five or six days."
Lin Li knew that Fengnian's business was growing bigger and bigger, with truckloads of duck eggs being delivered to his house, and the village was still collecting them.
Since Fengnian's mother said it was probably too late to delay any longer, she replied:
"Okay, I'll select the most honest and strongest men in the village to build a house for your family."
Song Anxin smiled and thanked him: "Then thank you, Uncle Village Head. It's thirty coins a day to build a house, not including meals. We'll settle the payment together after it's finished."
Also, our roof leaks, and I don't want a thatched roof anymore. I want to order roof tiles to repair our roof.
If you can't afford a brick house, asking for a tiled roof isn't too much to ask, is it?
Lin Li was shocked. Thirty coins a day to hire thirty men? Feng Nian's family was really generous. Why did he need to find people for this job? After the rice harvest, there were plenty of men in the village who were idle.
This job is so popular in the village that if you just advertise it, people will be scrambling to find someone. It's because Fengnian's mother trusts him, so he must carefully select someone for her.
He said, "I know this well. Da Mao is learning to be a bricklayer in the county. Go to his master and buy two pieces for one coin. Fengnian, how many pieces do you want?"
Song Anxin thought about how all five rooms in her house would need to be covered with tiles, and said, "Uncle, do you think 1,500 tiles would be enough for our house, including two more rooms in our yard?"
Their house isn't very big.
Lin Lizheng said, "Based on my past experience, it should be enough. Fengnian's mother, go home and wait. I'll find someone for you right away."
After receiving Lin Lizheng's reply, Song Anxin went back home. When she was almost home, she stopped by Lin's brother and sister-in-law's house to tell Lin about the house-building project later.
"Sister-in-law, if you're ever too busy, remember to call me. Don't be shy about asking me to help," Sister-in-law Lin instructed.
Song Anxin sincerely thanked her sister-in-law, acknowledged her, and went back.
When Zhang Mei returned, she said that Granny Han and Stone Mother had each brought her a pound of rice.
Song Anxin was somewhat moved. Granny Han and Stone Mother were both honest and grateful people. They probably wouldn't even eat a few bites of the newly harvested white rice themselves, yet they still brought it to her.
Soon, after about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Lin Lizheng arrived with his men. Meanwhile, Song Anxin's family received many adobe bricks from the villagers.
In this era, people have many children. Once a person is born, they need a place to live. When a son grows up and gets married, he also needs to build a house. If a family splits up, they still need to build a house. Therefore, farmers would make adobe bricks and store them when they were not busy, in case they needed them. That is, Song Anxin's family was too busy to store them.
Now someone is willing to pay for adobe bricks. Previously, this was only done when the village head's family ran out of money to build their house. All the villagers, regardless of whether they needed them at home, brought them over. This kind of money-making opportunity is rare; they can always make more if they need them themselves.
In no time, the wasteland in the backyard was piled with large adobe bricks, and the men began to work enthusiastically on the foundation.
"Heave-ho, heave-ho..."
"Everyone, put in your best effort and speed things up..." Lin Erzhuang shouted as he worked.
His father sent him not only to work for his second sister-in-law's family, but also to instruct him to supervise the men to work hard and to make sure that the tasks assigned by his second sister-in-law were completed properly.
On the other side of the wasteland, Song Anxin and Lin Fengshou settled accounts with the villagers who brought adobe bricks one by one. Song Anbang and Lin Fengnian, along with two children, checked the number of adobe bricks and whether all the delivered adobe bricks were intact.
Aunt Zhao also brought her adobe bricks to sell. She took the money with a smile and said:
"Oh my, Fengnian's mother, your family's life is getting better and better. It's perfect that my husband is building a house here with you. We don't have to go to the county to find work anymore. It's close to home and the pay is good. It's a rare find!"
Aunt Zhao's husband, Zhao Zhuangniu, would go to the county to find work every autumn harvest. However, many men from the village also came out after the harvest, so the pay was naturally low, only twenty coins a day including food but not lodging.
Some men would find a dilapidated temple to stay in in order to save money, but Song Anxin offered 30 coins a day. Although it didn't include meals, it was close to home and the wages were high, so everyone wanted to come.
Some women whose husbands weren't chosen were extremely envious and crowded around Song Anxin, saying:
"Sister-in-law Lin, if your family needs this kind of work in the future, just call my husband. He's very strong and will make sure you get a good cover."
Sister-in-law Lin also came over to help keep an eye on things. She said, "Come on, your husband is strong, but he's a real chatterbox. He can talk for half a day while you're working. You two should just stay in bed and chat quietly. Don't delay my sister-in-law's business."
Several women nearby covered their mouths and laughed upon hearing this. The woman awkwardly forced a smile, trying to salvage the situation by saying:
"Oh dear, he's not like that anymore..."
Song Anxin smiled. He knew that the people Lin Lizheng had chosen to help build her house were all honest, loyal, and strong men. He even had Lin Erzhuang supervise the construction, which showed that the village head cared about their family.
And so, after five whole days, Song Anxin's workshop was almost finished. Two more rooms were built in her own yard, and all five rooms were covered with blue tiles. Any sturdy parts were repaired, and it looked solid enough that it wouldn't leak inside when it rained heavily outside. The kitchen was also expanded, and she even had Lin Fengnian build a large stove for braising meats.
Meals may not be provided during the construction period, but a celebratory dinner is still necessary. There are many men, plus Song Anxin and Sister-in-law Lin's family, so at least five or six tables should be set up. Of course, the village head, Lin, should also be invited.
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