Chapter 40: The Kang is Completed
the next day
Mrs. Fan brought her father and two brothers to the house early in the morning as agreed.
Madam Fan has heard a lot about Cui Qingyi from her husband these days, and she has been wondering in her heart what kind of person is the girl who can write a novel that so many people like.
Most of them are gentle and graceful, full of bookish air.
But when she actually saw Cui Qingyi, all her imaginations about her were immediately overturned. There was only one thought in her mind, "This girl is so pretty. She has only one nose and two eyes, so why is her face so pretty?"
The eyes on her fair little face were big and round. Madam Fan didn't know how to describe them. She just felt that Miss Cui's eyes were very smart, as if they could speak.
That hair is so black and thick, it must have taken a lot of time to maintain, it makes people envious just looking at it."
Konjac told Cui Qingyi when he came back yesterday, and he knew that the one coming to help them make the kang today was Qi Moxuan's wife's family.
After all, the two of them are in a cooperative relationship. In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, Cui Qingyi is very willing to make friends with Qi Moxuan's wife.
"This must be Sister-in-law Fan and Uncle Fan, I'm really sorry to bother you."
In fact, when she came, Madam Fan was a little scared. She heard from Qi Moxuan that Miss Cui's background was probably not simple. Although she was cooperating with her husband in business, she was also afraid that she would be looked down upon by others as a rough person.
I didn't expect that Miss Cui didn't speak like someone with eyes on top of his head, and her words were also very pleasant.
"Yes, Brother Qi said you wanted to build a kang at home. My mother's family is a craftsman in this field, so I shamelessly brought them here."
When Madam Fan and Cui Qingyi were talking, Father Fan and his two sons were listening quietly in the back, not interrupting or looking around. Cui Qingyi felt that this was a nice family after paying a little attention.
As two women, she and Konjac were afraid of getting into unnecessary trouble.
Old Man Fan is a down-to-earth man. Ever since his daughter married Qi Moxuan, the couple would introduce house-building and house-repair work to the family from time to time. In order not to embarrass his daughter and the couple, Old Man Fan always told his two sons to be cautious when visiting other people's homes and not to cause trouble for them.
Because of Cui Qingyi's special status, Madam Fan specifically reminded her two younger brothers when she went out today not to wander around or look around in other people's houses.
After a few pleasantries, Cui Qingyi led him to the back room. "Uncle Fan, I'm planning to build a large kang by the window in this room. How many days will it take?"
Speaking of his ancestral business, Father Fan suddenly became lively. He took a quick look and said, "This job is easy. The three of us can finish it in three days.
But what are the regulations for the materials needed?"
Cui Qingyi: "Uncle Fan, I trust Sister Fan, so I naturally trust you too. Since I've asked you to do the work, if you need any materials or tools, let Konjac pay you.
I only ask for the best materials and that it look as beautiful as possible.”
This meant that they were given full responsibility. Father Fan did not refuse and nodded in agreement.
After the two parties agreed on the daily wages, Old Man Fan took his two sons and left to prepare the materials needed to build a kang. Mrs. Fan was kept by Cui Qingyi to talk.
Madam Fan didn't refuse. She had heard everything Cui Qingyi had just said, and she felt relieved. Although she trusted her man, she didn't want anyone else to get too close to Qi Moxuan.
But when she was talking just now, Cui Qingyi's words were full of respect for her, which made her feel a lot more comfortable.
Because it was cold, a few people sat in the living room and talked and drank tea.
"Sister Cui, I was too busy yesterday to ask you what you're using this fire kang for."
After a while, Madam Fan changed her way of addressing Cui Qingyi, and Cui Qingyi readily followed suit: "Sister Fan, have you heard of earth dragons? This kang actually has the same function as an earth dragon, both of which are used to keep warm in winter."
Madam Fan clapped her hands and said, "Earth dragon, I actually know this. It is said that the wealthy families in Qinghe City rely on it for heating."
Madam Fan didn't dare to say it. She heard that the underground dragon needed a lot of charcoal to burn, and those rich families would spend a lot of money just on buying charcoal in one winter.
"Yes, I happened to read in a travelogue that people in the north keep their homes warm on kangs in the winter, so I thought of making one at home. That way, Konjac and I can have a better winter."
Mrs. Fan was a very sensible person. She didn't say anything about wasting charcoal. She just said, "Well, now that your kang is ready, I want to take a good look at it."
It is always pleasant to chat with smart people who know when to advance and when to retreat. While waiting for Father Fan and his two sons to come back with the ingredients, Mrs. Fan was already discussing the patterns with Konjac.
Because there were only two women in Cui Qingyi's family, and fearing any inconvenience, Madam Fan did not go home but stayed here to accompany her, waiting for her father and brother to finish their work before going out together.
Father Fan was a skilled housebuilder and a down-to-earth person. Over the years, many people in Huaihua Lane had asked them to build houses. Seeing the family leave Cui's house, those who were eager to learn took the initiative to ask:
"Master Fan, are the Cui family planning to build a house?"
Father Fan: "No, the owner wanted to build a kang, so my daughter took on this job for us."
The man wanted to ask what a kang was, but in the blink of an eye, the father and son of the Fan family had walked away, and he was too embarrassed to stop them and ask.
They all knew that the young lady from the Cui family had taken Gu Erlang and his mother to court. Although Gu Erlang and his mother did not receive any punishment in the end, everyone also knew that the young lady in that house was not to be trifled with.
Before, the Gu family was not the only one in this alley who was thinking about Miss Cui, but now everyone has stopped.
If the gossips in the alley found out about his constant inquiries about the Cui family, he would be in big trouble.
.......
Father Fan was a truly experienced craftsman. He said it would take only three days, and a beautiful, neatly crafted new kang was ready. Cui Qingyi looked around but couldn't find anything she wasn't satisfied with.
Old Man Fan was very satisfied with the kang he had built for the first time. The main reason was that the owner was willing to spend money, so he could buy the best materials. The outside of the kang was made of high-quality blue bricks, which were neatly laid out, clean and beautiful.
The kang door and flue are both located in the backyard, which does not affect the appearance.
Following Cui Qingyi's instructions, Konjac lit a fire in the kang hole and then blocked the kang door. After a while, bursts of green smoke were seen coming out of the chimney.
When I went into the room again, there was no smoke at all on the kang.
"It's done. There's nothing wrong with this chimney."
Old Man Fan did a great job, and Cui Qingyi was not stingy. In addition to the agreed wages, she also gave him an extra fifty cents as hard-earned money.
Old Man Fan was not surprised. After all, when he went to work for wealthy families in the past, he saw that they did a good job and were given extra money as a reward, so he felt at ease to accept the job.
Madam Fan, however, felt a little embarrassed as she looked at the four-colored cakes and several delicately embroidered handkerchiefs in her hands: "How can I be so embarrassed? I didn't do anything."
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