Chapter 42
Two doors? Shu Wanxiu and Chen Sanhe exchanged glances, instinctively clutching their purses.
Xun Yi turned his head and saw Shu Wanxiu's actions, instantly realizing how abrupt his words had been.
If Shu Wanxiu was repairing a door, he could explain that he didn't need the wood anyway, but since Shu Wanxiu hired a carpenter, he had no right to pay her wages.
If Shu Wanxiu were to pay for it herself... Xun Yi knew that the Shu family was currently struggling financially.
After a slight pause, he strode into the house and apologized to Shu Wanxiu for his thoughtless words.
"I'm sorry, I'm not trying to make decisions for you, I just wanted to offer a suggestion."
"It's alright, Brother Xun, please go ahead."
Xun Yi glanced at the carpenter Pang's expression, and, having learned his lesson, cautiously chose a way of speaking that was as unoffensive as possible: "It would be good to have a sturdy enough door to keep out thieves, but if the door can't be kicked open, can't the thieves break a window?"
Hmm... that makes some sense. Doors are fixed, but people can be flexible.
Chen Sanhe, standing beside him, nodded slightly, but quickly realized something: "Then what's the point of your suggestion to make two doors? Are you suggesting we scrap the windows and install doors on them instead?"
No, that's not true.
"I just think that, besides finding a way to keep the thieves out, she'd better leave herself an escape route."
As for how to leave that escape route, it's quite simple: build a wall, install a gate, and surround and protect the Shu family's rooms.
If the wall is built high enough, thieves from other villages who come to rob on a whim won't be able to climb it because they don't have ladders.
If a thief kicks down the door in the front yard, the women inside can easily escape by using a ladder built on the back wall after hearing the noise.
While people won't always be unlucky and always encounter thieves, having such a wall can certainly increase the chances of escape should such a situation occur again.
This is just a preventative idea.
Shu Wanxiu couldn't help but fantasize, "If there had been a courtyard wall like that last night... how wonderful that would have been."
She had thought about escaping, but it seemed impossible to get away.
She would never forget the despair she felt when the door was kicked down.
Shu Wanxiu took Xun Yi's advice to heart.
Unfortunately, I'm short of money, so building two doors and a courtyard is currently out of the question.
Chen Sanhe immediately realized that this couldn't be accomplished overnight, so she smiled and smoothed things over for Xun Yi: "I didn't realize you were such an impatient person before. Don't be so careless with your words next time. Your auntie really didn't know what was going on when she first heard you say that!"
Carpenter Pang wasn't annoyed after hearing Xun Yi's explanation. He simply confirmed with Shu Wanxiu, "Shall we just make one door?"
“Yes,” Shu Wanxiu said with a smile, “I will come to you again when I need to make the gate for the courtyard.”
He nodded good-naturedly and accepted the thirty-yuan writing fee that he had previously agreed upon with Shu Wanxiu.
After leaving Carpenter Pang's house, Chen Sanhe spat again before he had gone far.
"That Liu family is a real menace!"
But he didn't dare complain too much, afraid that Shu Wanxiu would do something rash. After saying that, he quickly patted her back.
"Auntie, I've come to terms with it, it's alright." She was incredibly lucky to have survived such a dangerous situation last night, and she was determined to move forward.
In the coming days, she needs to ensure her safety first.
Once the perpetrators of the grain robbery have been caught, we'll return to the village and hibernate properly, taking care of our own and Shu Shouyi's health.
Next year, I will work hard in the fields, earn more money, build up the courtyard, and slowly repay the kindness of the villagers.
When one's thoughts change, the aura one exudes will also change.
Chen Sanhe was pleased that she was able to cheer up so quickly.
"I'm so happy that you can let it go."
"When are you going to your uncle's house? Do you need your aunt and Xun Yi to accompany you back to the mountain?"
"OK."
Although the door repair was agreed upon before she even went home, Shu Wanxiu had overcome her mental block, so there was no harm in going back to check on it.
There were four people in total; three walked up the mountain, while one slept in an adult's arms.
Just like at the village entrance, the road up the mountain was covered in snow and mud, making it difficult to walk.
Chen Sanhe held Shu Wanxiu's hand the whole time until all four of them arrived in front of the Shu family's house.
After that unexpected disaster, the bedroom door of the Shu family was shattered into pieces, with only a few scraps hanging on the door frame.
Last night, Xun Yi helped pick up some broken door panels and piled them aside, but most of them were still scattered on the ground.
Chen Sanhe peeked into the room and saw that apart from a wooden bed, a ceramic basin, and a hoe placed near the door, there weren't many other items.
She asked proactively, "This door is broken, and there's no lock in the main room. If you're not staying at home for the next few days, is there anything you'd like to store with me?"
They didn't have many belongings, but each one was very useful. Since Chen Sanhe had asked, Shu Wanxiu didn't stand on ceremony.
"some."
Hoes, earthenware basins, and salted fish hanging in bamboo baskets in the main room.
Even the large iron pot on the stove was extremely precious.
Fortunately, Xun Yi was strong, and he was able to carry all of these things.
Before descending the mountain, Shu Wanxiu carried a vegetable basket to the vegetable garden and picked some vegetables.
After descending the mountain, I went to Aunt Chen's house to get some rice to take with me as my food for the next few days.
Because she hadn't had a break, Shu Wanxiu's face turned rosy after doing all this.
She slung the vegetable basket over her arm and said to Chen Sanhe with a smile, "Auntie, let me hold Shouyi."
"You're setting off already?" Chen Sanhe looked at her. "You're carrying groceries and holding the baby; it must be so hard! I'll ask Qingshui to give you a ride."
Pang Qingshui was her eldest son. Without giving Shu Wanxiu a chance to refuse, Chen Sanhe directly called people into the house.
It was Chen Lian who responded.
"mother?"
"Shortly after Qingshui woke up, seeing that her father had not returned, she went to the outskirts of the village to meet him."
Chen Lian opened the door and came out, explaining where Pang Qingshui had gone, and then asked Chen Sanhe what was wrong.
"Auntie, let it go," Xun Yi said in a low voice.
"I'll go all the way and take them to Wuli Village."
"Well..." Chen Sanhe, who was about to continue calling his second son, stopped. "Alright."
Be careful on the road.
After giving them a few more words of advice, Chen Sanhe leaned against the fence gate and watched them leave.
It was unclear how many times, but Shu Wanxiu stood behind Xun Yi again, watching his back and following his footprints as they hurried through the snow.
"Be careful." When passing through a narrow path, Xun Yi used his back to block a cedar branch that was diagonally across the middle of the road, letting Shu Wanxiu pass first.
She stepped over it smoothly. As Xun Yi carried Shu Shouyi away, the back of his clothes ripped with a "rip" sound.
A perfectly good padded jacket, but this one hooked up and the cotton inside was exposed.
"Your clothes are torn."
Xun Yi turned his head and glanced at it, but he couldn't see the opening.
He didn't care much.
"It's nothing, I'll just learn to take care of myself."
Should I learn to supplement my diet?
She followed Xun Yi to Wuli Village in a daze.
This time, when they arrived at the village entrance, Xun Yi still did not intend to go in.
Beneath the snow-covered pine trees, Shu Wanxiu, who had kept her head bowed almost the entire time, raised her head and looked directly into Xun Yi's eyes.
These were very calm eyes, just like the feeling Xun Yi gave Shu Wanxiu—a sense of security.
Regarding repaying kindness, Shu Wanxiu had just received some inspiration along the way.
Leaving aside the past, just looking at this past half-day, Xun Yi delivered timber, helped move things, and brought them to Wuli Village. His kindness to them has grown like a snowball every day.
She will definitely repay the kindness in the future, but Xun Yi will definitely get married in the future as well.
She is not capable enough to repay Xun Yi's kindness in one go.
Why not assign each other a role now and start repaying each other's kindness from this moment on?
What had been a jumble of emotions and unspeakable words were now soothed by the sense of groundedness emanating from Xun Yi.
“Brother Xun.” Shu Wanxiu spoke in a calm and steady tone, but her eyes were bright.
"Your kindness is too great for us to repay... From now on, we are willing to regard you as our second parents and spread the word. I wonder if you are willing?"
Second, second parents?
Xun Yi seemed to be frozen in place, speechless.
This is absurd!
Shu Wanxiu was inspired by the torn corner of his clothes on his back.
She said, “I am small and weak, and I can’t help you with the work in your shop. But if I regard you as my second parents, I can mend your clothes and cook for you. This way, I can repay your kindness in small ways and I won’t have to worry about the gossip in the village.”
"I don't need you to mend my clothes or cook for me in return." After several breaths, Xun Yi managed to utter the next complete sentence.
"I would rather not be your second parent."
"Don't bring up such things again."
Xun Yi was in turmoil because of some inexplicable emotions.
He fled in disarray from Shu Wanxiu once again.
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