Embroidery needle and thread
In Kaoshan Village, early summer is approaching, and the winter wheat will be ripe in about a month.
Ling Zhanjia finally started construction during the temporary slack season for farming.
The site is now a bustling construction site! The new house stretches eastward from the original courtyard all the way to the riverbank.
Seeing that Ling Zhan had brought back two more young beggars from town, the village head even suggested that she buy more land for building houses.
Dust flew everywhere, and the air was filled with the sounds of people working, sawing wood, and tamping earth. It was a scene of bustling activity!
In the center of the arena, Shen Yan, like a peacock injected with chicken blood, wore a brand-new royal blue brocade robe, his hair meticulously tied up with a gold hairpin, waving a crooked but imposing "blueprint" in his hand, and was giving instructions with spittle flying:
"Here! Here! Dig the foundation another half foot deeper! Yes, yes, yes! Bluestone! It must be bluestone! It has to be sturdy! It has to be able to withstand a gale! Do you understand? This house was built with government funds! It represents my husband's reputation!"
After giving instructions to the workers who were laying the foundation, Shen Yan turned to the craftsman who was sawing wood. "Hey! That piece of nanmu wood! Yes, that one! Be careful! This is something I... this young master spent a lot of money to transport from the prefecture! It's going to be the main beam of the main house! It has to be straight! It has to be thick! It has to symbolize the pillar of my Shen family... no, the Ling Shen family! It has to be impressive!"
Then he addressed the person in charge of purchasing: "Tiles! Glazed tiles! The kind that reflect the sun! A roof that's golden and shiny! So that the whole surrounding area can see it! Money? There's plenty of government silver! If that's not enough, we'll get more from the county government! The county magistrate said he'll give us his full support!"
He was full of vigor and high spirits, as if he were not a supervisor but a general commanding thousands of troops.
The tail of the "golden peacock" was now sticking up higher than the newly erected roof beam next to it.
Xuan Chenzi, dressed in a faded Taoist robe and holding a chipped teapot, squatted on a large blue stone.
Squinting at Chen Yan jumping around, he sipped his coarse tea and slowly said to Hu Zi, who was helping to move small stones, "That 'Immeasurable Heavenly Venerable'... Hu Zi, did you see that? This is what you call 'a petty person getting ahead'... oh no, it's 'a husband gaining status through his wife's influence'! Tsk tsk, with this kind of setup, anyone who didn't know better would think he was building a golden palace! Those glazed tiles... I've calculated that if a strong wind blows them down, they might fall and damage the flowers and plants..."
Tiger wiped his sweat, steadily picked up a stone, and whispered, "Taoist Master, I think... my father genuinely wanted to build a good house for my mother. Look at him, although he's loud and boisterous, he's very attentive to what he needs to do, and the foundation is indeed solid."
His gaze toward Shen Yan carried a hint of youthful intimacy, admiration, and acceptance.
Bean Sprout, true to his name, was tall and thin. Holding a piece of charcoal, he was lying on a relatively flat, large bluestone slab, intently drawing something. He was drawing a layout of a house! Although the lines were immature, the proportions were clear, and the rooms, yard, kitchen, and even the reserved vegetable plots were marked. It was much better than Chen Yan's "blueprint"!
"Dad! Make the windows in the main room bigger! Mom likes it bright! Also, the kitchen is too far from the well! Move it closer so we don't have to carry water so much!"
Shen Yan slapped his thigh: "Yes, yes, yes! Bean Sprout, my son draws well! Listen to Bean Sprout! Open the windows wider! Move the kitchen closer to the well! Tiger! Big Girl! Did you hear that? From now on, you'll walk a few fewer steps when fetching water!"
He spared no praise for the bean sprouts' "talent".
Da Niu was leading a few older girls, carrying sifted fine sand from the riverbank in bamboo baskets, one trip at a time, to mix with mud.
Her face was slightly flushed from the sun, and sweat dampened her temples, but her eyes were bright and her movements were nimble.
Su Wan rushed over from the old kitchen in the courtyard and said gently, "Da Niu, your hands are meant for embroidery, you can't do this! Come with me to the kitchen to help."
Da Niu readily agreed, but kept going: "Okay! I know, Sister Su! Bean Sprout, check if the location of the chicken coop in the backyard is drawn correctly. It needs to be far enough away, Dad can't stand the smell." She had become the little logistics manager, with a sense of complete control.
The other children were also busy doing what they could.
Strong boys helped move small pieces of wood and pass tools; girls were responsible for cleaning up scattered sawdust, serving tea and water to the craftsmen, and looking after their younger siblings. The small courtyard would later be used as a storage room, and the sense of community was stronger than ever before, eager to move into their new home as quickly as possible.
Everyone's face was filled with anticipation for their "new home" and pride in participating in its construction.
Ling Zhan was stationed on the outermost edge of the construction site, responsible for handling heavy building materials such as large stones and logs.
After a busy day, the setting sun bathed the construction site in gold.
The foundation of the new house has been laid, and more than a dozen craftsmen are busy building the walls.
Shen Yan stood beside a pile of wood, surrounded by five or six children who were all talking at once, handing him tools.
"Dad, a nail!"
"Dad, hammer!"
"Dad, let me help you hold the plank!"
Despite being covered in sweat, Shen Yan smiled broadly and patted each child on the head: "Good, good, good, you're all good helpers! Er Mao, you held the nail correctly; San Ya, you handed me the hammer very well." He enjoyed being surrounded by the children.
Xuan Chenzi sat under the shade of a tree not far away, stroking his beard, but his gaze was fixed on the other end of the construction site—there, Ling Zhan was carrying a thick roof beam alone toward the foundation. She looked slender and walked steadily, with well-defined long muscles on her arms, and sweat dripped from her chin onto the soil.
A small figure suddenly came into view.
Little Stone, not yet seven years old, carefully walked through the bustling crowd, carrying a bowl of tea, toward Ling Zhan. Since being brought back from the market, the child had been quiet and reserved, yet he always followed Ling Zhan silently.
"Mom, have some water." Little Stone stood on tiptoe and held the bowl high.
Ling Zhan paused for a moment, put down the roof beam, and stiffly took the rough porcelain bowl.
Her fingers were covered in sawdust and dirt, a stark contrast to the child's clean little hands.
"Thank you," she said briefly, tilting her head back to drink it all in one gulp.
Little Stone didn't leave; instead, he pulled a faded handkerchief from his pocket: "To wipe your sweat."
Ling Zhan looked down at the child, who was barely waist-high, his dark, grape-like eyes filled with expectation. She hesitated for a moment, then slowly bent down. Little Stone immediately stood on tiptoe and carefully wiped the sweat from her forehead with his little hands, his movements as gentle as if he were handling some fragile treasure.
Xuan Chenzi narrowed his eyes, walked over to Shen Yan, and nudged him with his elbow: "See that?"
Shen Yan followed his gaze, pursed her lips, and said, "Little Stone doesn't like to play with other kids; he always runs off to Ling Zhan's place."
"Amitabha," Xuan Chenzi shook his head, "Brother Chen, haven't you realized yet? You're the father of these children, and Lady Ling is Little Stone's mother."
Shen Yan nearly choked on her own saliva: "What nonsense are you spouting! Ling Zhan, with that ice-cold face, can he be a mother?"
But he had to admit that since the house was being built, there had indeed been a strange tacit understanding between Xiao Shitou and Ling Zhan. The boy would always hand Ling Zhan tools when he needed them, and Ling Zhan would quietly assign him the lightest tasks. Once, Shen Yan even saw Ling Zhan teaching Xiao Shitou how to hold an axe—although his serious demeanor made him look more like he was training a soldier than teaching a child.
As the sun set, the craftsmen began to pack up their tools.
After Ling Zhan finished inspecting the last section of the wall, she turned around and found that Xiao Shitou was still standing behind her, his little hands and face covered in mud and ash.
"Tired?" she asked, her voice still calm, but her brow seemed to have relaxed a little.
Little Stone shook his head, but couldn't help yawning.
Ling Zhan glanced at the children playing in the distance, then at the little stone who was guarding her alone.
Suddenly, she squatted down, her back to the child: "Come on up."
Little Stone stared wide-eyed, unable to believe his ears.
"Hurry up," Ling Zhan urged, his tone still harsh.
Little Stone then carefully climbed onto her back.
Ling Zhan stood up, but instead of carrying him on his back as usual, he suddenly lifted him up and placed him on his not-so-broad shoulders.
"Sit tight," she said briefly, supporting the child's leg with one hand as she strode toward the courtyard.
Little Stone froze for a moment, then broke into a bright smile.
His small hands grasped Ling Zhan's hair as if they were holding the most precious treasure in the world.
This scene silenced the entire construction site.
Shen Yan's mouth dropped open, and he didn't even notice the hammer in his hand fall to the ground.
Xuan Chenzi stroked his beard, his eyes narrowing into slits as he smiled.
"My goodness..." Shen Yan muttered, "Ling Zhan actually let someone ride on her neck?"
Ling Zhan seemed oblivious to the stares of the crowd, simply adjusting her pace to make Xiao Shitou sit more steadily. The setting sun cast long shadows of the two figures, one large and one small, merging them together. Her large hand remained protectively around the child's thin legs, her movements clumsy yet gentle.
At first, Little Stone didn't dare to move, but gradually, he relaxed and his little feet swayed gently.
As he passed a jujube tree, he reached out and plucked a leaf, then tucked it into Ling Zhan's hair bun.
Ling Zhan didn't reprimand him, but simply turned his head slightly: "Don't move."
Little Stone chuckled, its voice as clear and crisp as a mountain stream.
He leaned down and boldly hugged Ling Zhan's head, pressing his face against her sweaty hair.
Ling Zhan paused for a moment, but did not push him away.
As the sun set, her perpetually tense lips seemed to soften slightly.
Xuan Chenzi walked to the stunned Shen Yan and said meaningfully, "See? This is the natural bond between mother and child. That child has his eye on Lady Ling, and Lady Ling has accepted him in her heart."
As Shen Yan gazed at the two figures gradually fading into the sunset in the distance, she suddenly felt a lump in her throat.
He rubbed his eyes and muttered, "It's windy, it got in my eyes."
When Ling Zhan carried the little stone back to the courtyard, Su Wan, who was hanging clothes to dry, was so surprised that she almost knocked over the laundry tub.
Da Niu and Er Mao ran out of the kitchen, their eyes wide open.
"Mom..." Da Niu asked timidly, "Is Little Stone sick?"
Ling Zhan shook his head, awkwardly setting the small stone off his shoulder: "No."
As soon as Little Stone's feet touched the ground, he ran to his friends, his face flushed with excitement.
"Mom let me ride a big horse! Really! It's really tall!"
The children exclaimed in envy and surrounded Ling Zhan, chattering excitedly.
"Mom, I want one too!"
"Mom, can it be my turn tomorrow?"
Ling Zhan was surrounded by the children, and a rare look of panic appeared on his face.
She looked up at Shen Yan at the door, her eyes carrying a hint of pleading.
Shen Yan suddenly burst into laughter and went over to pull the children apart.
"Alright, alright, your mother's been working hard all day. Want to ride a horse to find me?"
The children cheered and rushed towards Chen Yan, instantly turning the yard into a noisy mess. Ling Zhan breathed a sigh of relief and turned to walk towards the well, but felt her clothes being tugged. Little Stone looked up at her, holding a clean, damp cloth in his hands: "Mom, wash your hands."
Ling Zhan squatted down and let the child clumsily wipe the dust off her hands.
The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the two of them, gilding them with a warm golden hue.
At the kitchen doorway, Xuan Chenzi whispered to Su Wan, "See? The iron tree is blooming."
Su Wan smiled gently, her eyes shining with tenderness: "Little Stone is lucky."
That night, as the moonlight bathed the courtyard, Shen Yan saw Ling Zhan standing alone in front of the newly built house foundation, holding the jujube leaf that she had stuck in her hair during the day. Her figure was still as upright as a pine tree, but it seemed to have taken on a gentler undertone.
In the kitchen of the old house, after Su Wan finished washing the younger children, her gaze swept over the little girl whose clothes were increasingly tattered and patched, a hint of pity flashing in her eyes. She immediately opened a large bundle, inside which were scraps of fabric of various colors, needles and thread, thimbles, small scissors, and other items. She said softly, "The clothes are mostly torn, and I can start mending them now. I wonder... which young lady would be willing to help me sort out these loose threads?"
The older girl and a few other girls quickly gathered around, sorting through the "pretty" scraps of cloth, filled with the anticipation of witnessing a miracle.
Su Wan smiled gently, picked up the needle and thread, and with a few deft movements of her fingers, a simple yet sturdy patch appeared on the largest tear in the garment.
The stitches are fine and even, and the patched area looks better than a new garment, like a work of art.
The children let out a soft gasp of amazement.
Su Wan's gentleness, patience, and her seemingly magical hands won the children's hearts.
Even Xuan Chenzi, who was peeking from afar, couldn't help but stroke his beard and nod: "This girl knows how to manage a household."
Shen Yan exclaimed with great satisfaction, "Finally, there's a woman in the house who knows how to manage things!" He was practically gloating that he could finally be free!
Xuan Chenzi: "A stabilizing force or a gentle touch! The way to manage a household is to complement each other perfectly, while conflict will lead to destruction!"
He deliberately left things unsaid, his eyes conveying a meaningful meaning.
Shen Yan glared at him!
Bold but cowardly: "Old Taoist! What nonsense are you spouting! Get to work! If you slack off again, I'll take away your chicken leg from your dinner! You're really asking for trouble!"
He scolded her verbally, but his eyes involuntarily drifted to the needle and thread in Su Wan's hands.
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