Chapter 402 A Dilapidated Taoist Temple in the Tang Dynasty: A Female Taoist Priest (10)
Without hesitation, Jiang Yue began searching for suitable wood the next day. After spending several days finding the right piece, she went to the capital and bought some paint and woodworking tools. This time, she planned to do all the work herself.
After buying the goods, she processed the wood and dragged it back with great effort. Since the freshly cut trees were unusable, they were supposed to be left to air dry for several years, but Jiang Yue didn't have that time. She just threw them into the wizard tower to be processed. While processing the trees, she also leveled the ground between the Taoist temple and the pavilion.
Previously, the ground of the Taoist temple was paved with stones, which Jiang Yue couldn't manage by herself. She planned to lay wooden trays instead, as they were easier to use and easier to walk on once secured. Construction wasn't fast because there were other things to do. Just as she finished paving one road, it was harvest season, and this compacted ground could be used to dry the grain.
After collecting medicinal herbs for a period of time following the autumn harvest, Jiang Yue devoted herself to the project of building the pavilion. She got up early every day and busied herself with carpentry and paving.
Jiang Yue meticulously carved the processed wood into various shapes to build the framework of the pavilion. Then she painted the wood with a bright and rustic lacquer, making the entire framework both beautiful and durable.
When laying the wooden pallet path, she cleverly designed a unique pattern that not only made it easy to walk on and provided excellent anti-slip properties in the rain, but also added a unique aesthetic appeal. As time went by, the pavilion gradually took shape. After several months of hard work, the pavilion was successfully built. Standing under the brand-new pavilion and looking at the winding wooden pallet path, Jiang Yue felt a great sense of accomplishment.
It's a pity it can't be used in the dead of winter. The pavilion is located on the edge of a cliff, with no shelter, and the cold wind howls against your face. It wasn't originally built for winter use. Imagine having a cup of tea here in the middle of summer, with a cool breeze on your face and watching the sunset. Jiang Yue pulled her thoughts back, shook her head, sighed, and went back to the Taoist temple. She'll have to experience it next year.
When winter came, Jiang Yue became busier. The number of sick people increased significantly during this season. Another noticeable change was that Jiang Yue was earning more money than before. It wasn't that Jiang Yue raised her prices for medical treatment; it was that everyone's lives improved a lot after the main character arrived. They could make money by raising pigs, chickens, and growing vegetables in greenhouses.
Even though Jiang Yue's medical fees didn't increase after she became wealthier, people gave her more money when paying for her medicine. They knew Jiang Yue wasn't making money and was even losing money every year, so they didn't want her to suffer losses all the time now that they had the means.
The area around the manor where the protagonist lives has developed into a small market. In the past, Jiang Yue had to go to the capital to buy some things, but now most things can be bought here. However, if she wants to buy books, she still has to go to the capital. The area here is not big enough to open a bookstore, since there are still very few people who can read and write.
Jiang Yue now goes to various villages, and all the gossip she hears is related to the protagonist. However, everyone's gratitude is genuine; normal people wouldn't be ungrateful. Look at the farming families now; they can basically eat meat once a month.
Although the protagonist did not announce that schooling would be free, private schools were opened one after another. Although they still charged money on the surface, the money earned each month was enough to support the children's schooling and allow them to save up a sum of money.
Moreover, the protagonist has only been here for a year. Which household doesn't hope that the protagonist will get better and better? In a few years, Jiang Yue believes that it's not impossible for every household to set up a longevity tablet for the protagonist.
Jiang Yue was delighted with this situation. In previous years, she would send some grain to poor families to help them get through the winter. This year, she figured she wouldn't be able to send any more, since everyone should have enough grain. She even planted some more land this year. She would send the grain from the temple to the main character's grandmother when she opened the soup kitchen next time. It was pointless to keep the grain in the warehouse; it was better to spend it and have it eaten.
After closing the door to the room, Jiang Yue petted the cat. This winter was colder than last year, and the calico cat didn't seem willing to go out to play. Jiang Yue checked the weather and saw that it looked like it was going to snow. After putting the cat down, she went out to check everything, tidied up the things in the yard and brought them inside, and also grabbed some dried fruit as a snack to pass the time.
After the afternoon classes, it started snowing. I cooked some porridge for dinner. I didn't want to cook anything too much on a snowy day. A bowl of hot porridge, a small dish of pickled vegetables, and a boiled egg were all I needed for a meal. After eating, a lot of snow fell. After washing the dishes, Jiang Yue ran back inside to read.
The snow was still falling the next day, but it didn't affect Jiang Yue. She continued doing what she was doing. She hadn't finished the porridge from yesterday, so she didn't need to cook breakfast this morning.
After dinner, I shoveled the snow. The more snow piled up, the harder it was to shovel. I piled the snow at the base of the ginkgo tree in the yard. This thing will look better when it grows up. It's still small now, so you can't tell yet. I hope I don't kill it halfway through.
It was still snowing at noon, so we had a hot pot meal. The vegetarian hot pot with fruit juice was delicious, and the clear broth base was enough to feed the calico cat, saving us from cat food. After the hot pot, we had a fruit salad. I wouldn't trade this life for anything.
After dinner, I took a nap. It was too cold to move, so I set up the heating stones at night. The heat from the firewood alone was so intense that it was hard to fall asleep.
When I woke up the next day, the snow still hadn't stopped. This happened once last year too, with the snow falling for several days and even collapsing Er Gouzi's house. I guess it will happen again this year, but it probably won't happen in this area, though it will likely happen in other places.
After finishing my morning prayers and cooking porridge, I swept the yard and went to check on the laying hens. Jiang Yue had built a chicken coop this year, so the chickens probably wouldn't freeze to death. After that, I inspected the Taoist temple. Although it was newly built, checking it made me feel much more at ease.
After finishing her work, Jiang Yue went back to her room to read the scriptures. The snowy day made visibility poor, so Jiang Yue hung up the lamp in case someone came up the mountain and couldn't get lost. She hoped that her worries were unfounded.
Fortunately, Jiang Yue's worries were unfounded. She stayed up late that night to make sure no one was coming before finally going to sleep. On the third day, the snow still hadn't stopped, but it was much lighter than the previous two days. After cleaning the snow in the yard, Jiang Yue swept the area outside the Taoist temple. For safety, she had the puppet transform into her likeness and cleared the path up the mountain.
After the puppet returned, Jiang Yue put her back into her space. After checking the puppet's memories, she found no one, which was good, and she didn't have to think of making excuses anymore. Before closing the door, she looked at Sanhua, who was lingering at the door: "Do you want to go out and freeze to death, or stay at home obediently?"
"Meow meow meow." After meowing a few times, it rubbed against Jiang Yue's leg and ran back into the house. Jiang Yue smiled and closed the door. It's not a good day to go out because of the snow. I'll make a few pairs of shoes.
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