Chapter 11 He was really moved by the occupation of the territory, solved!
Today, Zhang Renbai wore a cyan shirt, still made of ordinary cloth, with the collar and cuffs neatly trimmed, as if specially ironed. Besides the jade ring, he also wore a small sachet around his waist, emitting a faint orchid fragrance. He stood on the steps, talking to Wei Jinyun. The sun fell on his hair, revealing that his bun was smooth and greased.
"It's just a bag of cakes. We'll all be neighbors in the future. As long as the taste is good, that's fine."
Wei Jinyun greeted him, walked a few steps, and turned back again.
She was originally going to find time to talk to the Zhang family about the wall, and now that Zhang Renbai took the initiative to talk to her, wasn't it just in time?
I heard Aunt Zhao next door chatting and mentioned that the Zhang family's stationery store was originally run by Zhang Renbai's parents. Now it happened that Zhang's father and mother went back to their parents' home to visit relatives for half a year, so it was a good opportunity to hand it over to him to take care of it.
The imperial court gradually relaxed restrictions on merchants taking the imperial examinations, allowing those with exceptional talent to participate. Zhang Renbai, who had studied for several years but was still a student, had not yet passed the examination. He now managed his shop while preparing for the exam.
"I've finished eating."
Seeing Wei Jinyun walk a few steps and come back to him, Zhang Renbai couldn't suppress the curve of his mouth. He praised again, "It's crispy and delicious. Paired with a pot of pearl orchid, it tastes great."
"You don't have to be so polite. If you like it, I'll ask my two sisters to bring you more in the future."
Wei Jinyun changed the subject and said, "Mr. Zhang has also seen it. My family has been tidying up the shop recently. There is something I have been thinking about, but I don't know whether I should tell you..."
A trace of genuine worry immediately crossed her brow.
Zhang Renbai saw her serious expression and couldn't help but feel a little nervous. "Of course I can tell you. Please go ahead, Miss Wei."
Wei Jinyun lowered his voice, his tone filled with just the right amount of concern and worry. "We've hired two bricklayers to renovate the backyard recently, preparing to open a bakery. While they were repairing the wall connecting our shops, they discovered... well, they discovered that section of the wall is so old, there are several cracks between the bricks. Some are so wide you can even fit a finger through them!"
While observing Zhang Renbai's expression, she continued, "If it were just a crack, patching it up would be fine. But the experienced builders say the base of my wall seems to be leaning and loosening, which is definitely a serious problem. If there's a strong wind or heavy rain, the wall might collapse. What if it collapses into your yard and injures someone? What will we do then?"
"Is this really true?"
Zhang Wenbai was shocked when he heard this. He had always studied hard at home and in the academy, rarely visiting his parents' shop. Even if he did come for a short stroll, he wouldn't have peered through the crack in the wall, let alone the fact that the shop next door had been empty for decades.
His parents are old, and the little girl who brought him lotus cakes yesterday was very smart and well-behaved. If the wall really collapses one day and they happen to be at the foot of it, wouldn’t it be... People can’t always rely on "luck" to live their lives.
Zhang Renbai, a scholar, didn't understand the art of bricklaying. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but echo Wei Jinyun's words and said, "What should we do?"
Wei Jinyun saw that he was worried and concerned about the appearance of the wall. He did not show any embarrassment or uneasiness when she talked about this matter, as if he had no idea that the base of his wall occupied her land.
That’s easy!
"Don't worry, Master Zhang!"
Wei Jinyun tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and raised her voice slightly, her tone full of concern. "I've been thinking that since this wall connects our two homes, the hidden dangers naturally concern the safety of both. My two bricklayers, Brother Zhang and Brother Erniu, are extremely reliable and have solid skills. They're also very honest people... They're working on my house right now, and they have all the tools and new bricks and tiles ready. If Young Master Zhang is trustworthy, could you allow them to come over and take a closer look at your side? If the cracks on your side are not big, they can reinforce and repair it on the spot while they're here and have the materials. It would save time and effort. What do you think?"
"This, this is so embarrassing."
Zhang Renbai was a little excited.
"Since you and I are neighbors, there is nothing to be embarrassed about."
Wei Jinyun smiled respectfully and said, "When my shop opens in the future, if there is anything I don't understand, I will have to trouble my neighbors."
After hearing this, Zhang Renbai felt that the young lady Wei in front of him was very clever. Not only did she handle the decoration of the shop by herself, but this was the common wall of their two shops, and she had already thought of a backup plan.
Now asking like this, I must be seeking his opinion.
She is really a good lady.
"Miss Lao Wei and the two masters are over there."
Zhang Renbai quickly agreed, his words filled with gratitude, "I'll take the masters over to take a look!"
Soon, Wei Jinyun and Zhang Renbai were standing at the foot of the backyard wall of his shop.
While Zhang Renbai was bending over to check the wall, Wei Jinyun blinked and kept winking at Xiao Zhang and Erniu.
Zhang Renbai examined the mottled walls of his house carefully for a moment. As Miss Wei had described, there were indeed several large, hideous cracks. The bricks near the ground seemed to vary in color, with the darker ones appearing to have been soaked by rain, and some of them were winding and irregular.
It seems that it is indeed a crumbling wall!
"Mr. Zhang, please come this way."
Xiao Zhang had a serious look on his face and looked extremely experienced. He led Zhang Renbai closer to the wall on his side.
He used the handle of the tile knife to knock on the bricks in different positions, and the sounds that came out were sometimes dull and sometimes hollow, which were very different.
"Listen carefully to this sound. I'm afraid there's something empty inside."
He squatted down again and pointed at a clear, outward-sloping crack at the base of the wall. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk! Look at this crack! It's narrow at the top and wide at the bottom. The base of the wall is unstable and bulging outwards. This is a big no-no! It's very dangerous!"
As he spoke, he took a shovel and carefully dug down along the base of the wall, revealing the deeper soil inside.
"It's so dangerous. Sure enough, the voice sounds different."
Zhang Renbai looked even more surprised. He squinted one eye and observed for a while before exclaiming, "This wall is indeed a little curved!"
Wei Jinyun was standing by, drinking the jasmine flower tea that Zhang Renbai had politely brewed for him, and sipping it with relish.
I reoccupied her land, mixed old bricks with new ones, how can the sound sound the same?
If you are greedy and want to occupy more, how can the built wall not be crooked?
The jasmine tea at the end of June is indeed fragrant.
Wei Jinyun took a deep sip.
"oops!"
Xiao Zhang suddenly exclaimed, as if he had discovered something incredible, causing Zhang Renbai's heart to rise to his throat.
"What's wrong, Brother Zhang?"
Zhang Renbai looked in the direction of Xiao Zhang's shovel, and saw some blackened and rotten wood chips and brick fragments in the place where his fingertips dug.
"Master Zhang, look! The foundation beneath this wall is completely rotten. It's supported by this little bit of loose soil, so how can it not bend? This can't be fixed by just patching up the cracks."
He sighed deeply, his tone serious, and shook his head repeatedly.
"Ouch!"
Erniu came over and stepped on the soil near the base of the wall. His brow furrowed immediately. "Brother Zhang is right. The soil below is gone. It's all mud softened by accumulated water. The foundation of the wall is unstable and the roots are damaged. It's impossible to just repair the top. If there's a storm, it will definitely collapse!"
Zhang Renbai didn't understand any of this; he simply felt that what Masters Xiao Zhang and Er Niu said was reasonable and their evidence was solid. He listened to these words, staring at the wall before him, only to see it grow increasingly crooked, as if it were about to collapse.
He glanced at Wei Jinyun, who was drinking tea beside him, and asked the two, "Then what do you two masters think should be done?"
Xiao Zhang stood up, patted the dirt off his hands, and gestured with his hands, saying meaningfully, "Master Zhang, if this wall is to remain safe and secure in the long run, the crooked and unstable section must be completely demolished, along with the rotten roots underneath. Then, it must be rebuilt according to the most solid foundation line."
Erniu pointed to the stone connecting the two walls and said, "Mr. Zhang, look at this old foundation. It's so straight and stable. If we build along it, re-prime and lay bricks, I guarantee it will be safe for decades to come."
The stone was supposed to be used to measure the difference between Wei Jinyun's shop and Zhang's shop. Originally, the entire stone should have been inside her shop, but now the Zhang family has occupied most of it, leaving only a small part of her shop's border exposed.
Since it occupies land, I don't think they would call a mason from outside. The wall they built themselves is irregular and not cleaned properly, so there will naturally be rotten wood and brick fragments underneath.
Zhang Renbai stared at the crumbling wall in front of him. As a mere scholar, he knew nothing about construction and felt that what the two masters said made a lot of sense.
If a wall is to be built, it must be built firmly and without danger, and it must be done according to the most reliable rules.
"Master is absolutely right!"
Zhang Renbai thought for a while and nodded repeatedly, "Just do as the master said. The master has taken the trouble to build the wall more firmly. If you need the materials, I will..."
"How can I let Master Zhang worry about this?"
Wei Jinyun put down the teacup and smiled slightly, "This is my family's wall repair."
"Don't worry, Master Zhang."
Xiao Zhang patted his chest and spoke in a loud and generous voice, "The issue of your wall is, after all, also related to the safety of Miss Wei. Miss Wei told us early on that it's natural for neighbors to help each other. Erniu and I are quick, and we have bricks readily available, so we've gathered them up for you and will make sure they're solid. Just wait and see!"
After hearing these words, Zhang Renbai almost burst into tears and was so moved that he didn't know what to say.
He only felt that Miss Wei was very thoughtful, and her figure in front of him became even taller in his heart.
"In that case, Renbai would like to thank Miss Wei on behalf of my parents and the two masters for their hard work. If Miss Wei needs any help in the future, Renbai will do his best to help."
He hurriedly picked up the whole pot of Zhulanhua and poured tea for everyone, "Drink tea, drink tea."
Wei Jinyun drank two bowls of water in a row and was full. "I have something else to do, so I won't stay in your shop any longer, Master Zhang."
"Mrs. Wei is going shopping again?"
"Yeah, I'm happy."
Wei Jinyun didn't turn around, but laughed heartily, "I'll cut two pounds of pork belly for the two chefs, and get half a pound of Fenjiu!"
Zhang Renbai looked at her back and couldn't stop smiling.
"Brother Renbai, is it still so hot today?"
Meng Ge'er passed by with a bowl in his hand.
"cough."
Zhang Renbai choked on his tea and his face turned even redder.
The author has something to say:
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This good young lady, when cut open, is black. [Poor]
The system used for the imperial examinations during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
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