Chapter 28: The sound of craftsmen fills the courtyard, and the warmth grows thicker
The morning light had barely shone over the courtyard wall when it was shattered by a clanging sound. Little Swallow, clutching a pile of clean, coarse handkerchiefs, had just stepped through the courtyard when flying sawdust blinded her. She rubbed her nose with her hand, and a speck of white dust immediately stained the tip of her nose, causing Little Douzi, squatting on the threshold, to giggle.
"What are you laughing at, little one!" Xiaoyanzi reached out and scratched the tip of his nose, then turned to look out into the courtyard—three carpenters were setting up a scaffold to measure the roof beams, while bricklayers were carrying new tiles on narrow ladders, their footsteps making the wooden steps creak. Liu Qing was helping pass nails, sweat dripping from his dark forehead, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his sturdy forearms. Liu Hong, carrying a coarse porcelain pot, poured cold tea for the craftsmen, her braid swinging back and forth with her movements, not even noticing a sawdust smear on the end of her hair.
"Little Swallow, you're here!" Liu Hong's eyes lit up when she saw her. She handed the kettle to Grandpa Zhang next to her and ran over quickly. "Look how strong this beam is! Carpenter Wang said it can last for thirty years!" She pointed to the newly erected beam, which still had fresh wood grain on it, and the sunlight shining on it gave off a light yellow glow.
Xiaoyanzi stood on tiptoe to reach the beam. Just as her fingertips touched the wood, Liu Qing pulled her back: "Be careful of the splinters!" He pulled out a clean cloth from his pocket and carefully wiped the dust off her fingertips. With a serious look on his dark face, he said, "Carpenter Wang got pricked yesterday. Don't touch anything."
Xiaoyanzi stuck out her tongue and handed him the handkerchief: "My mother asked me to bring it here to wipe the sweat off the craftsmen." She turned her eyes and looked at Xiao Jian who was squatting in the corner drawing a blueprint. He was wearing a blue-gray shorts with ink stains on his cuffs. He was gesturing something with the carpenter, and his profile looked particularly calm in the sunlight.
"Brother! What kind of swing do you want?" Little Swallow ran over, leaned in front of the blueprint, and pointed at the crooked sketch. "Isn't this rope too thin? Xiaodouzi and the others always let go when they swing. It needs to be sturdy!"
Xiao Jian paused his pen, looked down at his sister's sparkling eyes, and a smile played in his eyes. "Wrap it with hemp rope three times, then nail a wooden board on it. It will definitely not fall." He pointed to the corner of the drawing, "And add a small wooden horse with armrests, so the youngest child can play with it."
"Big Brother, you're so kind!" Little Swallow clapped her hands and laughed, the red string at the end of her braid sweeping across the blueprint, stirring up a gust of wind. The old carpenter next to her stroked his beard and smiled, "Young Master Fang is so meticulous. This blueprint is even more detailed than our craftsmen. The children are so lucky."
Xiao Jian waved his hand, his gaze fixed on the roof—the tilers were laying new tiles, the blue-gray tiles stacked one on top of the other, blocking the gaps that let in the draft. He said to Liu Hong, "Once the roof is tiled, replace the windows with new wooden frames and cover them with thick cotton paper. That way, the winter won't be cold."
Liu Hong nodded vigorously and turned to go get some water for the bricklayer, but was stopped by Xiaoyanzi: "Let me go! You almost tripped over the ladder when you were delivering water yesterday. I'm more agile!" She picked up the kettle and scurried around the pile of wood, like a light swallow. As she passed by, she handed handkerchiefs to the craftsmen moving the wood, "Uncle, wipe your sweat!"
The craftsmen were amused by her and took the handkerchief and praised her: "Miss Fang is really a funny guy!" Liu Qing stood there and looked at her back, a shy smile on his dark face, forgetting to pass the nails in his hand. Xiao Jian patted his shoulder: "Don't stand there, this pile of wood needs to be moved to the west wall, so it's out of the way."
"Hey!" Liu Qing responded, picking up a log and walking away, his steps steady. Xiao Jian looked at his tall, straight figure, then at the children playing and chasing each other in the yard, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart. The sunlight filtered through the newly erected wooden frame, casting interlaced shadows on the ground. The fragrance of sawdust and the faint scent of sweat were surprisingly more reassuring than the incense in the mansion.
The servants brought new wood and cotton, and Xiao Jian directed their movement to the east wing. Xiaoyanzi ran over to help, but tripped over some wood chips and was about to fall into the woodpile. Liu Qing quickly caught her, "Careful! I told you not to be rash." He held her arm, his fingertips accidentally brushing against her wrist. They both froze for a moment, then quickly let go. Liu Qing's face instantly flushed to the roots of his ears.
Xiaoyanzi was also a little embarrassed and scratched her head: "Thank you, Brother Liu Qing." She turned and ran away, the red rope at the end of her braid drawing a light arc in the air. She didn't notice that when Liu Qing looked at her back, the light in his eyes was brighter than the sun.
As the sun climbed higher, the courtyard's roof was already mostly covered with new tiles, a bluish-gray expanse that looked remarkably neat. Grandma Zhang's stew was ready, its aroma filling the courtyard and drawing the children to the stove. Xiao Jian invited the craftsmen to rest for lunch. They sat around the newly constructed wooden trellises, coarse porcelain bowls in hand, chatting and laughing over their hot dishes. Sweat mingled with laughter, glistening in the sunlight.
Xiaoyanzi brought the bowl of food and came to Liu Hong. Seeing that there was not much meat in her bowl, she quietly gave her a few pieces of pork ribs from her own bowl and said, "Eat quickly. You still have to work in the afternoon." Liu Hong's eyes were hot and she was about to refuse, but she held her hand and said, "Eat, eat. We are sworn sisters. Why should we be separated?"
Liu Qing sat opposite, watching this scene, lowering his head to eat the rice in his bowl, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up. Xiao Jian walked over to him with the bowl and handed him a white flour bun: "Eat more, you have heavy work in the afternoon."
Liu Qing took the steamed bun and nodded vigorously, his heart warmed as if by the hot broth of a stew. The laughter in the courtyard, the clinking of dishes and chopsticks, and the distant chirping of birds mingled together like a lively song, singing of these ordinary yet precious human fireworks.
As the last tile of the roof was laid, the setting sun painted the sky red. As the craftsmen packed up their tools and prepared to leave, Xiaoyanzi and Liuhong gave them some dry food that Grandma Zhang had prepared and said with a smile, "Come early tomorrow and try to set up the swing!"
Xiao Jian settled the wages, watched the craftsmen walk away, then turned to Liu Qing and Liu Hong and said, "Clean up the ground in the compound tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow we can invite the grandparents to move into the renovated house."
Liu Qing looked at the brand new roof and windows, his dark face filled with gratitude: "Master Fang, Xiaoyanzi, we will remember this kindness forever."
Little Swallow waved her hand, pointing to the sunset glow in the sky. "Why are you saying all this? Look how beautiful this sunset glow is! When the compound is finished, we'll set up a table in the yard to watch the stars, and I'll tell you stories about Jiangnan!"
Xiao Jian looked at his sister's smiling face, tinged by the sunset glow, then at the light in Liu Qing and Liu Hong's eyes. He suddenly felt that, thanks to these vibrant people, life in the capital had finally begun to feel like home. The evening breeze blew through the newly repaired window lattices, bringing a burst of freshness. Smoke rose from the chimneys in the courtyard, mingling with the aroma of food, and gently dispersed in the twilight.
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