Chapter 8: Hardworking Xiao Zhang and White-Eyed Erniu Laying Bricks and Tiles
It didn't rain today. The enthusiastic Xiao Zhang saw that there was still space on the donkey cart, so he let Wei Jinyun get on. It was faster than walking and saved some energy.
Wei Jinyun naturally agreed. Her feet were almost broken after strolling around the grass market for the whole morning. She quickly straddled the bike and returned to the shop with her brick and tile mill.
She wandered along the way and returned home with a full load. Although it cost her a lot of money, she felt that even the smell of mud and grass in the air was mixed with a hint of sweetness.
After yesterday's thorough cleaning by her family and the two aunts, the courtyard had already been given a brand new look. Now that the sun was out, it was even brighter and seemed to be a little more lively.
The two donkey carts she hired were loaded to the brim, attracting many shop owners in front of Tianqing Temple to stick their heads out to take a look.
It was a woman who looked unfamiliar, and she seemed to be heading towards the door of the old shop where the two little kids were squatting that morning.
Zhang Renbai happened to come out of the store holding a stack of rice paper.
Their family has been selling study supplies here for more than 20 years. He is just a young man with a gentle and fair complexion. He just met Wei Jinyun this morning, but his face turned red before he even opened his mouth.
Seeing her coming back with two burly men, he seemed a little embarrassed and tightened his grip on the rice paper.
"Wei, Miss Wei is back."
Zhang Renbai's voice was not loud, with some shyness typical of a scholar. His eyes quickly glanced at Wei Jinyun's face, then quickly dropped down, staring at the rice paper in his arms.
He had seen people coming out of the shop that morning. Aunt Zhao from Li Ji Delicatessen had already grabbed a can of soybeans and walked in to chat with them.
Meng Ge'er told him that the girl he had seen that morning was surnamed "Wei," and that she was accompanied by her grandmother and two younger sisters. While chewing soybeans, Meng Ge'er repeated to Zhang Renbai what his mother had been chatting with.
How come he, who always spoke clearly and articulately when introducing things to customers, suddenly became unclear in his words?
Wei Jinyun stopped and smiled in return, "Yes, I just went to Wangji to order some furniture for the opening. These two craftsmen are here to help me repair the courtyard wall and roof."
She pointed at Xiao Zhang and Erniu behind her.
Zhang Renbai then looked up at the two bricklayers, nodded to them, and then looked at Wei Jinyun, "Miss Wei, you have worked hard. If you need anything for pens, ink, paper, and inkstone, please feel free to come to the shop."
"Naturally, naturally."
Wei Jinyun looked up at the sign above her head that read "Zhang's Stationery Store" and replied naturally, "When my sisters go to school in the future, they will have to go to Master Zhang's shop to pick out a few items."
Zhang Renbai said "hmm" and walked back to his shop with brisk steps.
She actually knew his last name was Zhang!
The two Wei sisters had already been standing at the door, gazing towards the street corner, eagerly awaiting Wei Jinyun's return. That morning, several shopkeepers and shop assistants from the surrounding area had come to chat with their grandmother, leaving them disoriented and bored.
The millstone on the donkey cart obscured Wei Jinyun's figure. The two finally saw their sister jump off the donkey cart, but the opportunity was snatched away by the stranger selling paper nearby.
Why do people keep talking endlessly? Do people really have so much to say to each other?
The man didn't know my sister and didn't explain his words clearly.
Wei Fuling held the bowl and quickly ran down the stone steps to Wei Jinyun. "Are you tired, sister? Drink some water."
Wei Fuqiu held the cattail-leaf fan in her hand and fanned herself with it.
"Not tired, not tired."
Wei Jinyun drank the water in the bowl and stuffed the weighed candied apricots into the sisters' hands. "Sister, try it! It's super sweet!"
Wei Fuling kept muttering "Sister is so nice" and pulled Wei Fuqiu into the yard to share the candied apricots, one for each of them.
After all the bricks and tiles were unloaded into the yard, Xiao Zhang and Erniu started working without stopping.
They deftly checked several bricks on the courtyard wall that had been rotten by rain, counted the number of bricks needed to rebuild the stove, and climbed onto the roof to check the tiles.
The stove had to be built first, as it would be used for cooking and making pancakes. It would take at least seven or eight days during the rainy season for the clay mortar to dry before it could be used.
Xiao Zhang looked at the huge pile of bricks in the courtyard and asked curiously, "Miss Wei, your shop is just being renovated. Although the top layer of bricks is a bit rotten, there are still some good ones underneath. Wouldn't it be a waste to buy so many?"
The roof had a lot of broken tiles, so they definitely needed replacing. But the bricks were different; it wasn't like we were rebuilding the house, so we didn't need that many.
"If there's any left, could you please ask Brother Zhang to help build a mud stove in the yard?"
Wei Jinyun prepared some barley tea for them and set it aside to cool. "The sisters still want a separate room."
Some pastries need to be baked in a clay oven to achieve a crispy and crumbly texture. Even in modern times with ovens, my grandmother still has a clay oven in the backyard of her bakery.
She always says that electric ovens don’t have the same fragrance as oven-baked ones.
But my grandmother rarely used the clay stove. Every time they used it together, she and my grandfather would wait eagerly for food.
"Sure, sure."
Xiao Zhang drank a bowl of roasted barley tea and continued to work.
There were already two rooms on the second floor. The two sisters were used to sleeping alone, so Wei Jinyun asked them to build another layer of bricks in the larger room to create a small room.
This way, Wei Jinyun would have her own room, while Wang Qiulan and her sisters would each have their own. After she took measurements in the next two days, she would go to the market and find a few small cabinets to put in the room. She had seen them today; they were almost new, still with carvings, and they were a great bargain at a few.
The son of shopkeeper Wang, who was delivering the beds, could carry a bed up by himself. Xiao Zhang wanted to help, but was stopped by him.
This man's arms were even thicker than Xiao Zhang's, worthy of being someone who had been doing heavy work for a long time. After delivering the bed and drinking a bowl of water, he harnessed the donkey cart and rushed to the next house without stopping for a moment.
In just a cup of tea, the three beds were each in their own place. Wang Qiulan spread the bedding on the beds, and Wei Fuling, with her new bed, jumped around on it several times, making the entire second floor creak.
"Finally, I don't have to sleep on a wooden bench anymore. It's even better than Sister Ling'er's previous bed!"
"You've already broken the new bed even if you jumped on it again. You'll still have to sleep on a wooden bench tonight."
"Sister Qi is annoying."
Wang Qiulan had been here for less than two days when she saw her granddaughter buying a bed and building a house. In the blink of an eye, she had transformed an abandoned shop into a brand new one.
Seeing the two little granddaughters making a fuss, Wang Qiulan pulled Wei Jinyun aside when she had a moment's free time to walk into the main hall. She couldn't help but say, "Jinyun, this is a bed, and it's been repaired... The four of us, grandparents and grandchildren, are returning to Pingjiang Prefecture to find a place to settle down and live in peace. Why would we need so many fine things?"
In Wang Qiulan's simple mindset, settling down, having a roof over one's head, a bed, and a stove were all that was needed. She understood Wei Jinyun's efforts to repair the wall tiles, but she also heard from the guy who had just moved the bed that she had also ordered a number of tables, chairs, and benches from his shop.
Why do you need so many stools to sit on at home?
She even thought that if things got really tough in the future, the location of the shop looked good and she could still find a buyer to sell it to, which would earn her some money to leave for her three granddaughters.
It must be left to them.
Wei Jinyun knew Wang Qiulan's concerns.
She was used to the peaceful life in Gaochun Town, and her original body had been bedridden for many years. In Wang Qiulan's view, this series of actions of hers might be too aggressive, even a little unbelievable to her.
"Grandma, don't worry. We're not just settling down here; we're going to put down roots and live a good life here. I'm thinking that once we've cleaned up the place, it'll be perfect to open a shop. We'll also be buying tables and chairs for that purpose. In the future, we'll truly establish ourselves in Pingjiang Prefecture, so you can enjoy your old age in peace."
When Wang Qiulan heard the words "open a shop," surprise and confusion flashed in her eyes. "What kind of business is this shop?"
In her opinion, the risk was too great.
"Making cakes."
To dispel her doubts, Wei Jinyun said again, "Grandma, you forgot. Mother taught me when she was home, and I remember it all... I've inquired about it. After running the shop here for a year, we can establish our own household registration. My sisters and I don't have to move back to the Wei family."
One of the original owner's mother's relatives was a pastry maker. When she was not out doing business, she would always make snacks at home for the three sisters.
The original owner was in poor health, and kneading dough was physically demanding, so she rarely taught her how to make pastries. But Wei Jinyun thought about it and decided that this was the only excuse she could use to conceal her craftsmanship.
Wang Qiulan finally sighed and patted the back of Wei Jinyun's hand. "Jinyun is a child with her own ideas. Grandma is old and doesn't understand these things. But if this money is not enough, Grandma has a few strings of cash and some jewelry."
"Grandma, save your money to buy candy for Sister Qi and Sister Ling. I bought two bolts of cloth. When you have some free time, you can make them some clothes. It's going to be hot in July soon, and that material will be comfortable."
"Well, they grow taller every year."
Wei Jinyun helped Wang Qiulan to sit down in the yard, and then called the two sisters down from the second floor to prevent them from getting hit on the head by bricks or tiles.
The water in the wooden barrel was not enough. She wanted to go outside to get more water, but Wei Fuqiu stopped her and said, "The water here is clear. Can't we drink well water?"
"The well water is not clean. I'll find a porter to clean it up. We'll be able to drink it in two days."
Xiao Zhang, who was standing by, heard this and volunteered, "What do we need that laborer for? It's just to carry some mud and sand. I'll do it for Miss Wei later."
He worked briskly today. He felt full of energy when Miss Wei smiled at him.
Wei Jinyun felt a little embarrassed. They'd already been bothered by asking them to help move the goods today, letting her and her millstone take a free donkey cart ride. The daily wage was eighty wen, so why were they still trying to snatch the job?
"This old well in our family hasn't been cleaned for decades. The water is turbid and has a faint odor."
Xiao Zhang peered into the deep, dark well. "Don't worry, Miss Wei. Desilting and cleaning the well will take some work, but I can do it. It's just that the well has been sealed for years, so the bottom might not be clean. Cleaning it out will take some time... Don't you agree, Erniu?"
He looked up again, grinned and raised his eyebrows at Erniu who was laying tiles above his head.
Erniu rolled his eyes and said, "Yes."
"Thank you, Brother Zhang."
"Oh, it's okay."
Xiao Zhang and Erniu got to work right away. After partitioning off the rooms on the second floor and building the stove, they began to clean the well, like a perpetual motion machine.
The turbid and black well water was brought up bucket by bucket and poured into a mud ditch specially dug at the foot of the courtyard wall. The air was filled with the fishy smell of mud.
The two men took turns going down the well and painstakingly cleaned out the silt and gravel that had accumulated over decades at the narrow bottom of the well using shovels and masonry boards.
Wei Jinyun looked at this scene and felt that just providing food was not enough. Taking advantage of their break to drink water, he went out for a stroll and came back with a large, round watermelon with a lush green skin.
By the afternoon, the sun was shining brightly.
Wei Jinyun placed the watermelon on a chair in the yard and cut it open, then called out to the two of them, "Brother Xiao Zhang, Brother Er Niu, come and have a rest. Eat a piece of watermelon to cool down."
The two men were covered in sweat and mud. They washed their hands casually and gathered around.
She specifically picked out the ones that had been soaked in well water.
The cold watermelon was sweet and juicy, and most of it was quickly eaten up. Xiao Zhang and Erniu ate it to their heart's content.
Wei Jinyun naturally handed each of the two sisters a large piece. Wei Fuqiu held the melon and nibbled on it in small bites. Wei Fuling's eyes narrowed into crescents, and she buried her face in the melon as she ate.
“Is it really sweet?”
A head popped out from the wall on the side, clinging to the low wall connecting the two houses, staring eagerly at the people in the yard who were eating happily.
Wei Jinyun saw it and waved with a smile, "Brother Meng, I'll cut a piece for you too. You're climbing so high, be careful."
When Meng Ge'er heard this, he quickly climbed down from the low wall, not afraid of getting dirty, and ran to Wei Jinyun in a few steps.
He was quite big, but it didn't affect his movements at all.
He bit into the watermelon and thought to himself, this sister seems easy to get along with, and she has two younger sisters...
Meng Ge'er tilted his head and looked at the two sisters. Even though they ignored him today, he still wanted to be friends with them and would bring them some roasted chicken later.
"You've eaten all the watermelon seeds."
Wei Fuling pursed her lips and glanced at him.
Meng Ge'er hurriedly brushed off the watermelon seeds on his lapel, and even the way he ate the watermelon looked more elegant.
Wang Qiulan ate a piece of melon, combed her hair carefully, and prepared to go out. "I thought the weather was good today, and since I'm already in Pingjiang Prefecture, I wanted to go see your great aunt. I haven't seen your great aunt for over forty years."
She paused, a hint of anticipation on her face, "I'm going out to buy some things. I'll take you with me tomorrow."
Wang Qiulan and her sister would exchange letters every few months. They always talked about coming to visit when they had free time. "I will definitely take a boat to see you when I have free time," she said, but she never found the time.
My sister had poor legs and feet, and she had to take care of her three granddaughters. Jinyun's health at that time was not good enough to sit on a boat for several days.
It dragged on like this, for more than forty years later, and yet there was still a time to meet again. Wang Qiulan wiped away her tears as she left the house, following her memory to find the shops where they had loved to eat and play when they were young, and buy some to bring back to her.
"Okay, Grandma, please walk slowly and be careful on the road."
By the time Wei Jinyun took a nap in the yard, the afternoon was over.
The sun was setting, and when she opened her eyes, the well was already clean.
The sisters were called out to play by Meng Ge'er next door and have not returned yet. The only sound in the yard is the sound of Xiao Zhang and Erniu building the wall.
The stove had been built, and her big iron pot was placed on it together. It was the right size and fit perfectly.
She squinted her eyes and ran up and down in a circle, feeling very satisfied.
It is such a happy feeling to build my little home bit by bit.
Wang Qiulan had returned and was sitting in the yard doing needlework, but her brows were slightly furrowed and her face was noticeably darker than when she left, as if she was a little depressed.
"grandmother?"
Wei Jinyun moved a stool and sat next to her.
When Wang Qiulan heard her granddaughter calling her, a smile immediately spread across her face, not a trace of loneliness visible. "Jinyun is awake. Grandma has cooked some rice in the new steamer you bought today. We'll have steamed white fish, gluten-stuffed meat, and pickled vegetables and fried edamame for dinner. Okay?"
Her grandmother didn't even notice that she had just stood up and turned around. It seemed that she was really worried about something.
"Why is grandma unhappy?"
Wei Jinyun took the candied apricots on the chair in front of her and handed them to her, "Hurry up and eat an apricot to sweeten your stomach and take away all your grandma's unhappiness."
"This is for you kids to eat."
Wang Qiulan was amused by her words, but she still ate the candied apricots that Wei Jinyun handed over. "It's not a big deal. It's just that the pastry shop your great aunt and I used to go to when we were little has closed down and has become a straw sandal shop."
"I remember they said the dim sum shop 'Xu Ji' on Shantang Street was famous. Grandma, you should try it. Maybe you can get something that satisfies you."
"I bought it, too. It tastes pretty much the same, but maybe it's been so long since I've had it that I've forgotten it... I remember back then, the owner of that pastry shop also played with us. Her name was Changge. What a beautiful name! I still remember it."
I don’t know where Changge has gone, or whether he still loves singing.
“Actually, the dim sum is the same.”
Wei Jinyun's tone was filled with a hint of laughter, as if to coax her, "Grandma is just missing her sister and is panicking. Let's go together tomorrow, and wait for Grandma to see her sister. Then you can cry."
"How can grandma cry when you say that?"
After hearing her granddaughter's words, Wang Qiulan's sadness faded completely. The candied apricot in her mouth seemed to sweeten her heart. She got up and killed the fish she had just brought back, still thrashing in the wooden barrel, and cooked her granddaughter's favorite dish.
"Miss Wei, come here and take a look at this!"
Xiao Zhang was repairing several collapsed parts of the wall when he suddenly shouted with a hint of surprise and uncertainty.
Wei Jinyun heard the sound and walked over.
Xiao Zhang pointed to a few blue bricks at the corner of the wall, close to the base of the wall of the next shop, and said, "Ms. Wei, look at these bricks and the direction of the wall foundation..."
He gestured with a tile trowel, "Logically, the wall should have been built straight from here. But look, these bricks were obviously added later, they're crooked, and..."
He stood up, took a few steps back, and squinted his eyes to examine the wall connecting the two houses. "Also, looking closely at the cracks in the wall, it feels like the base of our wall has been eaten into by the wall next door. It seems that part of the wall next door is built on our land."
This wall is shared with the stationery store on the left, which is the shop of Mr. Zhang that Wei Jinyun met today.
Erniu came over after hearing this, stared at it for a while, and said, "Yes, this stone foundation should have been on our side, but now it's been mostly buried by the wall next door. I'm afraid that when they were building the wall, they secretly moved a foot or so of land towards us?"
Xiao Zhang looked at Wei Jinyun with a serious expression, "Miss Wei, this matter can be serious or minor. There might be something wrong with this corner. I'm afraid your yard has been occupied by the neighbors."
The author has something to say:
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I forgot to mention that the braised duck is the ancient braised duck [poor]
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