Chapter 133 Chapter 133 Update.
That day, Ji Xu's family packed up their bags of cloth and moved to the front yard.
This house converted from a warehouse was rented to Qiu Gu's family. This corner was separated by a courtyard wall, so it didn't hinder anything. Now the family's annual interest is one hundred taels. If this corner is rented to Qiu Gu, she can get one and a half taels of rent every month, which is eighteen taels a year. It can earn some money, and it also saves Qiu Gu's family from the trouble of looking for another house.
Aunt Qiu was grateful. After all, she had lived in Sangshu Lane for many years and was used to getting along with the neighbors. She was reluctant to move to another place. On the day of moving, she specially sent six grains in a red cloth bag, which meant a good harvest.
The cart pulled by a large yellow ox creaked around to Qianmen Street, which was adjacent to Jiaomen Market and more lively than Sangshu Lane. Next door was the gate of the Jin family's courtyard.
"In the past, our courtyard gate was higher than hers, but now our courtyard gates are higher than hers!"
Tian looked at both sides and felt indescribably happy. The gate of Jin's house was made of old wood and there was only one door. It didn't look majestic at all.
Looking at her own house, the wall was higher than hers, and the gate also had two doors. On the door leaves were copper turtle and snake-shaped door knockers to ward off evil and misfortune. It was obviously more magnificent than hers.
"Mother, the key."
Ji Xu presented the copper key with both hands as if he was enjoying presenting a treasure.
Tian took it and looked at it and said, "This good house is different. Even the key is made of copper."
Tian unlocked the door and pushed it open with a creak. She saw that the inner courtyard had been spotlessly cleaned by Qiu Gu before she left, and a cobblestone path led to the door of the main hall.
There is a century-old mulberry tree in the courtyard. It is said that it was planted when Anling Town was first built, and its history is even longer than that of this house.
On the right side of the courtyard is the east kitchen, and there is an old well in front of the door, but it has been abandoned because it has been rented out for many years.
The people who rented the house did not spend the money to dredge the well every year, and they just covered the well mouth with two pieces of wood and a large stone.
There is a wing room on the left, and two rooms in the east and west connected to the main hall in front. In the northeast corner is a cattle and horse stable.
Tian walked around, pointed at some corners in the yard, and said:
"This is where we plant onions, this is where we plant chives, and here we plant peppercorns and coriander..."
"You three children will sleep in the west room, and your mother and Xu will sleep in the east room."
Even the rooms have been divided, and the remaining independent room will be temporarily used as a warehouse to store things.
Here, Tian took her daughters to fetch water and clean everywhere. The original owner of this house must have been extraordinary and very particular. The interior was paved with wooden tiles and painted with red paint, which is what is called a chidi.
However, due to its age and the long tenancy, it is inevitable that it has suffered some damage. The red paint has peeled off, revealing the color of the old wood. Only in the corners where few people go can you vaguely see the mottled red paint.
These floor tiles will naturally accumulate dirt and grime after being used for a long time, so Tian fetched water and wiped them clean carefully everywhere.
Ji Xu went outside to find a well digger to dredge the well. Since he lived there, he must have spent the money to dredge the well so that the water would be cheaper.
The well-dweller first drew up water from the well. The water looked clear, but there were some dead branches and leaves floating on the surface.
She didn't drink it, but Tian didn't waste it either. She asked the neighbors who had vegetable plots in their yards to come and take some to water the fields.
She also dug out a small piece of land next to the kitchen. Now that the weather is hot, she will water it first. She will buy some vegetable seeds tomorrow and plant them. The sooner they are planted, the sooner they can pick the vegetables.
When all the water in the well was scooped out, the wellman lowered a rope down and shoveled up buckets of silt.
There were also many miscellaneous items mixed in the mud: children's mud carts, rotten hairbands, broken stove brooms, rusted spring shears, and iron hoes with missing handles...
The wooden board did not cover the well mouth tightly, it could only prevent people from falling in, but it could not prevent these small objects from falling in over the years.
"This iron rod is good. I'm afraid some monkey kid threw it in there on purpose. It can still be used if you install a wooden handle."
Tian's was not lost either, she was put aside.
Ji Zhu excitedly picked up the mud cart, washed it clean, and found that the wheels were missing. No wonder the child didn't want it anymore and threw it into the well. Ji Zhu also didn't want it anymore, and she and Xiao Yao squatted by the well, waiting for the next bucket of mud to come up.
The mud had a foul smell, but it was also fertile. The well worker pulled it up, and Tian took it and poured it on the vegetable patch to make fertile soil.
Jizhu and Xiaoyao followed and unexpectedly found a bronze dove cart inside. It was very finely crafted, but the feather patterns on the surface were a little mottled due to being soaked in well water for too long. But after rinsing it clean, the shape of the dove cart was intact.
"It's great to be able to dig out treasures from the mud. Xiaoyao, how about we play this?" Ji Zhu said.
Xiaoyao nodded happily.
This cart originally had a rope to pull it along the ground, but the original rope is gone.
Jizhu and Xiaoyao ran to the east room, used scissors to cut a piece of colorful rope that Tian used to make a cord, and tied it to the front of the cart.
Pulling it so hard to run fast, the dove cart really looks like a turtledove, with its tail raised high. When it walks slowly, its tail hangs down and touches the ground.
The youngest was behind, pretending to chase away turtledoves with a branch, and the two children ran around the yard.
"Money! It's money!"
Ji Feng noticed the coins in the mud with his sharp eyes and counted them one by one. There were about ten coins in total, enough to buy a mutton Hu pancake.
However, after washing it, she found that although the coin was a copper coin with a round outer surface and a square inner surface, it was not much different from the current Wuzhu coins. It was slightly lighter and the workmanship was not as good as □□. She went to the kitchen to find Ji Xu to take a look.
"It's definitely not a □□. It says 'half liang' on it, so it should be a half liang four zhu coin. It's probably from the time of the previous emperor. It's been several decades and can't be used anymore. I'll just keep it for fun."
Ji Feng thought he was picking up money, so he went to wait by the well again, hoping to get some coins from the current dynasty so that he could buy some Hu pancakes.
However, the silt was limited, and most of the things inside were rotten beyond recognition. Ji Feng did not find any money, but did find some broken pottery plates and tiles.
“This is a treasure!”
Ji Zhu and her little sisters loved it very much. They said they would keep it for use when they played as children, and use it to serve rice and vegetables. They would wash it clean and hide it quietly in a corner so that the adults wouldn't find it. Otherwise, they would throw it away because they thought it was dirty.
Seeing that she was eagerly waiting, Tian gave her some money and asked her to go to the city to buy two liters of soy sauce, and keep the extra for herself to buy Hu cakes. Ji Feng agreed quickly and ran away.
After the old silt is cleared, the inside is cleaned and the dirty water is pumped up until the water becomes clear. Then you can wait for the groundwater to seep out again and drink water. You no longer need to go to the reservoir every day to buy water.
Ji Xu was cleaning the kitchen. She was very satisfied with the east kitchen, which was spacious and bright. Most importantly, there were two horseshoe stoves with four burners, which allowed her to prepare braised food without wasting time. She also had burners to cook her own meals without having to move the clay pots around.
"Here, here, put it here."
Ji Xu asked a carpenter to make a cabinet. It was made of solid camphor wood and was very heavy. The two young men moved it into the kitchen and placed it in the corner under her instructions.
Ji Xu put the plates, bowls, pottery, beans and soup bowls in the house into the cupboard to prevent insects and rats from climbing in, and placed the large stone pestle used for pounding rice at the door.
When you enter the kitchen, there is a window on the right. Next to the window are two horseshoe stoves. There is a row of hooks on the stoves, on which are hung some kitchen utensils such as knives, stove brooms, kitchen spatulas, bamboo spoons, daggers, sieves, rice strainers, etc.
The ceramic stove was polished to a shine, and there were no extra objects placed on its surface except for the lids of the cauldron, steamer, and pot.
The two horseshoe stoves were placed side by side under the window. In the corners facing the stoves, there was a pile of firewood, and on top of the firewood was a fire stick for holding the firewood.
Next to it is a brand new cupboard and a three-layered wooden counter where you can prepare your daily meals.
There are also some ropes extending from the beams to hang the vegetables and cooked meat bought that day to prevent them from being eaten by mice. In winter, bacon can also be hung.
"This place is really well-maintained. Originally, there were two families living here, and things were a bit messy, but now it's in perfect order."
Ji Feng bought some sauce and came back, chewing on the greasy Hu pancake. He tore off half of it and gave it to Ji Xu. Ji Xu didn't want to eat the greasy food, but wanted to eat some melon to quench his thirst. He thought about cutting the melon and eating it after he finished cleaning.
As for the two rooms where they lived, Tian had also tidied them up. The wooden doors were movable doors that could be opened from the left and right, and the inside was cleaned to a bright shine, so they had to take off their shoes before entering.
They saw a newly bought cattail mat spread on the old kang. The mat was woven with cattail grass, had a soft texture, and the edges were wrapped with green cloth. It was better than the reed mat they used in their hometown.
Now we live in a big house and our living conditions are better than before, so we are naturally more willing to spend money on food and other necessities.
There was a plum blossom lacquer table on the kang, with two large pillows. Tian had sewn a festive red cloud pattern on the pillow covers. By the window was a brand new copper lamp with goose feet, and next to it was a needle and thread basket with some silk threads and unfinished cords in it.
These small ornaments were all bought by Tian in Zhishi Market. She often bought groceries there and was able to buy affordable items.
Not only were new cabinets built in the kitchen, but new boxes and cages were also built in the east and west rooms to store clothes and bedding. There was also a wooden panel in the east room where the books that were read on a daily basis were placed. It was right next to the kang and could be easily accessed.
It is worth mentioning that there is a bamboo couch slightly higher than the ground in the outer hall, with a wooden table on it. In the past, Qiu Gu and her friends would bring fruits and tea to entertain guests on it. Apart from the fact that it squeaks when people step on it, it is still in good condition and usable.
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