Chapter 220 The dark wood furniture is finished, and Lin Heng has a small study room.
Lin Heng finished making the cake and looked at the pot. There was still some maltose stuck on it. He quickly added a little water and some glutinous rice to prepare a bowl of porridge.
“It’s delicious.”
Xiaoxia said in a baby voice while eating maltose.
"It's delicious. I'll make it for you next time."
Xiulan touched her face, took the two bottles of maltose and put them in the cabinet. She told her daughter not to eat too much of this stuff.
Lin Heng waited until the malt sugar cooled and solidified, poured it out, cut it into small slices half a centimeter thick with a knife, and put them in a plastic bag. This was the cake he missed the most when he was a child.
At that time, the family had no money to buy candy or biscuits, and they could only eat a few pieces during the Chinese New Year. Most of them were used by their parents to entertain guests, and he and his elder brother Caiyun could only taste them.
I took a piece and put it in my mouth. The first thing I felt was the crispness and fragrance of the rice krispies and peanuts, as well as the toughness and sweetness of the raisins and red dates. The taste was extremely rich and sweet to the heart.
"Try one."
Lin Heng fed Xiulan one piece.
"tasty."
When Xiulan ate it, her eyes and eyebrows were curved. Sweetness is the best taste of this era.
"I want one too!"
Xiaoxia stood on tiptoe and begged for it coquettishly.
"Give."
Lin Heng gave her one piece, and cut the rest into small pieces. After putting them together and weighing them, they weighed a total of six pounds.
This is much more than what his mother used to make, and it also has more raisins. Before, it only had rice crackers and peanuts.
Xiulan grabbed a plate and took it out to let Lin's father and Carpenter Liang taste it. She gave the rest to her nephews to share, and let Lin's mother and Caiyun have a taste as well.
When Xiulan came back, Caiyun also came over with a basket of konjac tofu. Konjac tofu is gray, looks very gelatinous, and tastes very unique.
It goes without saying that this was made from the konjac that Lin Heng had dug earlier.
Putting the konjac tofu floating in the water, Xiulan looked at Lin Heng and blinked, "Caiyun and I are going to Tianyan's house to play for a while. She has called me several times and I am embarrassed to refuse her again. Please take care of Xiaoxia."
"Okay." Lin Heng nodded, and said, "Bring some cakes over."
Xiulan thought about it and decided to get half a pound of cake. Then she and Caiyun went to Tianyan's house.
In the front yard, Father Lin and Carpenter Liang were polishing the wooden boards with wooden clippers. They had already polished several smooth boards.
This dark wood board looks very delicate. The red toon tree is famous for its cracking and the wood is also very loose.
However, after being buried underground for a long time in the high pressure and oxygen-free environment, its properties have changed. It is not only denser and harder, but the texture is also much more beautiful.
Of course, it cannot be compared with woods like nanmu and red sandalwood.
Lin Heng looked at his father and said, "Dad, let's go to the back mountain and get some wood to make stairs, shall we?"
When I asked someone to help move firewood, we also moved some large logs and placed them in the shade on the back hill to dry. Now they are probably almost done and can be brought back for use.
"good."
Father Lin nodded and followed Lin Heng to the back mountain.
There are twelve pieces of wood drying in the shade, all six meters long. Three of them are maple and the remaining nine are all pine.
"What kind of wood are you going to use?" Father Lin asked.
"Use maple. This wood is hard and won't crack easily."
Lin Heng thought for a moment and said.
After making the decision, the two men carried the wood back to the yard to measure it before cutting it.
After the two of them finished preparing the ingredients, Xiulan and Caiyun came back together and went to the kitchen to prepare lunch.
After lunch, Lin Heng continued to do carpentry work. He did not feel tired, but felt quite fulfilled.
After a busy day, I finally made all the wooden parts needed for the stairs.
The next morning, I spent the whole day polishing with a wood trimmer. In the afternoon, the stairs were installed in the house, and it was already evening when the handrails were installed.
"good."
Looking at the wooden stairs, Lin Heng nodded with satisfaction, then took out the varnish he bought in the city and applied it evenly. The stairs were originally white, and he did not change it.
After the stairs were completed, Lin's father continued to help Carpenter Liang in the following days, while Lin Heng used the remaining wooden boards from building the stairs to make a beautiful little house for the two dogs.
Xiaoxia had been watching beside him, and when Lin Heng was done and the dog wasn't there yet, she went in first.
"This is for the dog to live in, not for you." Lin Heng exhaled and looked at her and said.
"Dad, I want a small house too."
Xiaoxia stuck her head out of the small house and acted coquettishly towards Lin Heng with a smile.
"You already have so many toys. Can I make you a small tent next year?"
Lin Heng looked at her and said. He was really a little lazy. Making a small house for Xiaoxia needed to be very delicate, otherwise the splinters would easily hurt her.
Such an exquisite little house is really too much energy.
"No, I want a small house."
Xiaoxia crawled out and shook Lin Heng's hand and said.
"How about we finish it for you next year?" Lin Heng looked at her and said, this year was too rushed, he didn't mind if he could take it slow next year.
"All right."
Xiaoxia tilted her head and thought for a while, then agreed, and then pinky-pinched with Lin Heng.
After playing with her for a while, Lin Heng went to install the doghouse.
Xiongba’s doghouse was in the front yard. Lin Heng placed the female blue wolfhound’s puppies in the front yard, next to Xiongba’s doghouse.
After all, she was a child bride bought for Xiongba, so it would be good to cultivate some feelings between them since childhood.
The black spaniel was placed in the backyard, under the window of Lin Heng's master bedroom. With dogs guarding in front and behind, it would be difficult for anyone to steal things.
The doghouse was ready, and Lin Heng padded it with warm brown fur. But he didn't plan to tie the dogs here for the time being. These two puppies were not as smart as Xiong Ba, so they had to learn from Xiong Ba, and Lin Heng also needed to train them.
First of all, they are not allowed to urinate or defecate anywhere in the house, and they must be trained in some basic skills from a young age, and at least they must be able to understand commands.
Currently, they all sleep in the front yard at night, and the two puppies sleep in one doghouse.
In addition to this, Lin Heng also made a maple wood box that was 93 meters long, 43 meters wide and 39.5 meters high. He painted it in the morning and it has now dried.
At night, after coaxing Xiaoxia to sleep, Lin Heng and Xiulan moved the bed away and removed the wooden board under the bed. The plaster in the secret compartment underground had completely solidified, and the secret compartment could now be used to hide treasures.
“Just right.”
Lin Heng put the maple wood box he made in it and said with a smile, this is just the right size to fit it.
"I'll go get the money."
Xiulan said softly and turned to take the money out of the cabinet.
Not counting the money Xiulan had saved before, Lin Heng still had 25,000 yuan left from selling ginseng this time.
Xiulan wrapped the money with plastic wrap and put it all in the box, filling the empty space with rags. Finally, she closed the box, put another layer of plastic wrap on top, and covered it with bluestone tiles.
Some mixture of soil and lime powder was thrown randomly into the gaps between the bricks. From a distance, it looked the same as the gaps filled with cement, both were grayish white.
No one knew that he had so much money hidden in his house, and it was buried underground. Even if a thief really came, he would definitely leave after stealing the money and jewelry in the closet.
"Okay, now I feel relieved."
Move the bed back, Xiulan said softly.
Lin Heng found it funny to see her like this. She was too cautious. But it was also true that such a large amount of money was not easy to earn.
After washing up, Lin Heng went out to the toilet. It was cold outside and there were no stars in the sky. It was estimated that tomorrow would be cloudy.
Back in the house, Lin Heng added some firewood to the fireplace. It was a good thing he had a fireplace this winter, otherwise he would have been freezing to death.
The winters in this era seem to be colder than those in later generations.
He got on the bed, hugged Xiulan and fell asleep.
Time flies, and in a blink of an eye it is already the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, and there are less than seven days left until the Chinese New Year.
These days, Xiulan, Lin's mother and others went to the town once, riding in a horse-drawn carriage, and bought a lot of New Year's goods.
Lin Heng went up the mountain twice with a bow and arrow, but he didn't get anything. There was no sign of golden roosters. The rapeseed and wheat in the village fields were green and lush, and there was no sign of takins stealing food.
They did hear that a wild boar had come down the mountain, so Tian Baishun, Wang Kaidian and several other hunters formed a team to chase it. They also called Lin Heng, but his family had so much wild boar meat that they couldn't eat it all, so he didn't want to go hunting at all.
As for Carpenter Liang, he has polished all the wooden boards these days, assembled the table tops yesterday, and installed the two tables this morning.
Both tables are made from red toon wood, which has a beautiful dark red colour and only requires a coat of clear varnish.
Lin Heng placed the long table on the side of the main room, the room where mulberry fungus and lime were previously stored. This room had been vacated and he planned to use it as a study or tea room.
In addition to this long table, Lin Heng and his father also made two pine bookshelves and placed them here.
The small square table was taken to Lin Heng and Xiulan's bedroom and placed there for use.
The main room is also the living room. The square table used for dining is made of pine wood and painted dark red. Lin Heng does not plan to replace it.
In the afternoon, Carpenter Liang first assembled a large armchair, which was for Lin Heng's long table. It was a size larger than ordinary chairs and was a perfect match for the long table.
After the chair was made, Lin Heng moved over and sat down, stroking the smooth table top and leaning back in the chair, feeling refreshed all over.
It would be perfect if there was a softer cushion at the back.
That night, Carpenter Liang finished the remaining nine chairs. These nine chairs were official hat chairs with simple lines but a classical and elegant style.
Five of them are made of camphor wood, and the remaining four are made of red toon wood.
After it was done, Carpenter Liang smiled and said, "How is it? Is it pleasing to your eyes, Lin Heng?"
Lin Heng gave a thumbs up and said, "Very good, Carpenter Liang, your craftsmanship is beyond reproach."
"Haha, once the tea tray and the bookcase are finished tomorrow, it will be done." Carpenter Liang said with a smile.
"Thank you for your hard work. Come and eat. Xiulan's meal is ready."
Lin Heng smiled and invited Carpenter Liang over.
Father Lin also smiled and said, "Today is the Little New Year in the north, so we can also celebrate the New Year."
"well."
Carpenter Liang nodded repeatedly. His appetite was aroused when he saw the eight dishes on the table. The luxury was even better than the New Year's Eve dinner at his home.
After the meal, Carpenter Liang and Father Lin drank a little too much and staggered back home.
The next morning, Carpenter Liang came over and finished the bookcase and tea tray. The camphor wood tea tray had a faint fragrance.
Finally, there was some wood left. After some discussion, the two sides decided to make a few small wooden boxes, mainly because nothing else could be made.
In the afternoon, Carpenter Liang helped install the wooden bed that Lin's father had made these days, and Lin Heng placed it in the bedroom behind the kitchen.
"Why don't you order the remaining pine boards for the second floor so that it will be more convenient for people to live in in the future."
Father Lin looked at Lin Heng and asked. Lin Heng's house was small, with only three bedrooms and a living room. Now one of the bedrooms has been converted into a study, leaving only two rooms. It will definitely not be enough to live in in the future.
"Forget it, just put the board somewhere for now. It won't be too late to order it later if you really need it."
Lin Heng shook his head. He estimated that by the time he needed it, a new house would have been built.
Even after the second child is born, it is completely acceptable for two children to temporarily use one bedroom.
"Okay then." Father Lin didn't force it and helped move the remaining pine boards to the second floor and stacked them.
Carpenter Liang also started packing up his tools and preparing to go home today.
Lin Heng packed up all the wood chips in the yard. These things were very useful for starting a fire or drying tofu.
The yard was tidy and people felt more comfortable looking at it. The two puppies were playing happily on the bluestone floor.
Before eating, Lin Heng gave Liang Gui 12 yuan and said with a smile: "Carpenter Liang, you have worked hard. This is your wages. The extra money is a red envelope. You did a great job."
Carpenter Liang worked here for exactly seven days. His original wages were ten yuan and fifty cents, but Lin Heng gave him one yuan and fifty cents more.
"This...thank you very much, Lin Heng!"
Seeing the extra one dollar and fifty cents, Carpenter Liang accepted it with just a little politeness.
After Carpenter Liuliang finished his meal, Lin Heng drove his motorcycle to take him home.
Without staying at his house for long, Lin Heng returned home quickly. On the way back, several families were slaughtering New Year pigs, and it was very lively.
It has been cloudy these days, with occasional snowflakes. When Xiulan got home, she was looking at the newly made furniture in the house, and no one knew what she was thinking.
"The New Year is coming soon. Let's go buy some things the day after tomorrow." Lin Heng looked at Xiulan and said. There are two market days left this year, namely the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month, the day after tomorrow, and the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month.
I have bought almost everything I need, except some firecrackers and door paintings. In these days, people write couplets by themselves or ask others to write them. People in rural areas usually don't spend money to buy Spring Festival couplets.
Lin Heng plans to write this year's Spring Festival couplets himself.
"good."
Xiulan nodded and sat down on the chair. She would be very happy to meet him during this Spring Festival.
"By the way, Dad and my brother are going to slaughter a pig tomorrow. Remember to go and help them then." Xiulan said again.
"Okay." Lin Heng nodded and asked, "Then do you think we should kill our sheep? It's already pretty big now."
The little ewe now weighs about 30 or 40 kilograms, so it is safe to slaughter it.
Xiulan thought for a while and said, "Forget it. Let's buy some mutton and let it give birth to some pups next year."
"That's fine too."
Lin Heng nodded. They still had to buy other meats anyway. Although they were not short of pork, they still had to buy pig heads and internal organs. Only when they were braised would they feel good when eaten during the New Year.
Second update, I'm stuck and posted it late, sorry (end of this chapter)
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