Chapter 3 Repairing the House, Repaying the Village Chief's Kindness...
By the time the mule cart arrived at Zhang Ting's dilapidated home, it was already completely dark.
By the moonlight, Zhang Ting first counted out twenty coins and handed them to the driver, as it was too dark to travel. He then gave him another ten coins as a reward for his hard work.
The driver took the money, but returned the ten coins to Zhang Ting. He frowned and shook his head helplessly at her, his eyes full of disapproval, as if to say that she was all show and no substance.
Zhang Ting was extremely embarrassed. She wanted to explain, but seeing the person turn around and leave, she gave up.
The villagers sleep late, and most of them have already gone to bed by this time. There are no other houses near Zhang Ting's house, so no one noticed that she had brought back a truckload of valuable supplies.
Zhang Ting breathed a sigh of relief. She still owed the village a lot of money. Although she had some money, she still needed to live, and there was no way to pay it back now.
Outside, the moonlight made it a little easier to see, but inside, it was like being blind. Zhang Ting went to the kitchen to start a fire and boil water. During this time, she set up a torch for lighting and put away the rice, flour, and oil. But even the poorest family is afraid of mice, so she found a stone to weigh them down before she felt at ease.
Yesterday she was still quite weak, but today she is much better, so Zhang Ting boiled water to prepare for a bath. Her hair was long and thick and difficult to dry, so she planned to deal with it separately tomorrow morning.
After washing up, Zhang Ting rolled up the bedding that Wang Danu had brought and placed it on the empty desk. She then put on the newly bought mattress and quilt, crawled in, and let out a comfortable sigh before falling into a deep sleep.
She slept well at night and woke up early in the morning. After boiling water and washing her hair, she changed into a maroon robe and cotton pants. The new clothes were so warm that Zhang Ting squinted her eyes comfortably. After washing up, she went to the kitchen to make noodle soup. Her cooking skills were just average, only edible.
After having breakfast, the craftsman I had arranged to meet yesterday arrived.
Zhang Ting didn't delay. She immediately discussed the repairs with the craftsman and requested that the doors and locks be replaced. The craftsman was a 20-year veteran, a well-known honest person in the village, and villagers sometimes asked her to repair their houses.
The master craftsman quoted Zhang Ting 335 cash, and, fearing Zhang Ting might find it too much, explained: "Don't think it's too much. Re-painting the windows and walls, nailing a few wooden strips, and replacing a few tiles won't take much work. But replacing the doors and locks won't be cheap."
Actually, she didn't even pay Zhang Ting her wages. She didn't know what kind of misfortune had befallen her family to have her living in such a dilapidated and remote house. She had also suffered alone in her early years, so she could understand Zhang Ting.
Zhang Ting, who had spent more than five taels of silver yesterday, couldn't help but feel ashamed. "How could I have such thoughts? Please do as you please."
It's clear the master craftsman is genuine; such a massive project definitely can't be finished in half a day. Listening to the master craftsman, we need to go back to the county to bring the door back. Zhang Ting will definitely provide lunch for everyone.
Zhang Ting was carrying the bedding she had borrowed from Wang Daniu's house the day before, preparing to return it. There were no secrets in the village, and Zhang Ting's house was quite a big commotion. Just then, Uncle Wang and Wang Daniu came to see what was going on, and Zhang Ting immediately greeted them.
Women in this world are all tall, and Zhang Ting is no exception. However, the quilt was too wide and she held it incorrectly, causing one corner of the quilt to be very close to the ground. Uncle Wang was terrified and quickly picked it up, afraid that Zhang Ting would dirty his quilt.
Wang Daniu casually put her hand on Zhang Ting's shoulder and touched her robe, saying, "Where have you been all day? You're dressed so nicely!" She was secretly envious. Although her family had enough to eat and drink, they couldn't bear to wear such nice clothes. Look, there weren't even any patches.
“My friends saw that I was in dire straits and helped me out,” Zhang Ting said with a smile.
"This robe looks really new." Wang Daniu also wished she had such a generous friend. Alas, why doesn't any generous person come to her?
When Zhang Ting got down to business, she said she planned to ask Uncle Wang to cook lunch for her. She had eaten Uncle Wang's cooking the day before yesterday, and although it was far from the level of Qingfenglou, it was much better than her own cooking.
Upon hearing this, Wang Daniu immediately agreed on behalf of her father, since he cooked every day; it was something he did easily.
Zhang Ting knew immediately that Wang Daniu often made decisions for Uncle Wang. She glanced at Uncle Wang, who didn't say anything but glared at her. She found it a little funny.
"Alright, then I'll trouble you, Uncle Wang. I'll bring the rice, flour, and oil later, but I'll also need some of your vegetables. I'll give you thirty coins for tea later, please don't mind."
Uncle Wang certainly didn't mind; the money was quite a lot. He immediately beamed with joy, but said, "You're too kind, young lady. We're all from the same village, why bring up money?"
Seeing that Zhang Ting seemed to have some extra money, Uncle Wang complained to her about being poor, saying that his family had been struggling since they helped her pay for her medical treatment and medicine last time. Next year, his sister Wang was getting married, and the family still didn't have any money left. They needed to plant seeds in the spring, but they didn't have the money to buy seeds.
Zhang Ting also complained about being poor: "I never imagined that Uncle Wang's family was in such dire straits. It's also my fault for being useless. I still have a lot of debts and can't help Sister Wang."
Seeing that she wasn't responding, Uncle Wang handed the bedding to his daughter and said to Zhang Ting with a serious expression, "Uncle isn't forcing you to pay back the money right away, but if you have some money on hand, pay back some so that Uncle's family can afford to buy spring planting. You can pay back the rest slowly later."
He estimated that Zhang Ting had at most one or two strings of cash, but he would try to squeeze out as much as he could.
The Wang family is considered upper-middle class in the village. If they were to reach the point where they couldn't afford to buy spring planting materials, then most of the village would starve. Besides, once you open a door, there's always another. If you pay back this family, what will you do when another comes demanding repayment?
The original owner borrowed fifteen taels from the village chief's family, seven taels from his first teacher, Wang Laotongsheng, and ten taels from Liu Dacai, a wealthy family in the village. In addition to the Wang family's grain, medical fees, and medicine expenses, he owed the village a total of fifty-two taels and eight mace.
She's not worried about being in debt; she's not paying back a single penny now.
“Uncle Wang, it’s not that I’m unwilling, but I really don’t have any money. I rely on friends to help me with clothes, rice, flour, and house repairs. I’ll find some work in a few days, and I’ll definitely give you the money for the seeds next spring.”
Although he didn't believe Zhang Ting was truly broke, she kept crying poverty and promising to pay back part of the money in the spring. The road was completely blocked, and Uncle Wang had no choice but to give her a cold snort.
He thought to himself that this poor scholar was like a completely different person, so slippery and unreliable.
Even at lunchtime, Uncle Wang didn't give her a kind look.
However, Zhang Ting didn't care what he thought. She had more than 34 taels left and still remembered a few cooking recipes. She planned to hire a few chefs and waiters, open a restaurant, and do some marketing. The business might not be as booming as Qingfenglou, but at least she could have a stable income.
Around 3 PM, the master craftsman finished tidying up the house. He was indeed a veteran craftsman; although it wasn't brand new, it was at least very neat and presentable.
Zhang Ting was most satisfied with the doors and windows; they were sturdy, secure, and draft-free, giving her a great sense of security. She even gave the old craftsman an extra fifty coins for tea before he left.
After seeing the old master off, Zhang Ting went to the village chief's house while it was still early. In the original owner's memory, the village chief was a kind and gentle person, like a family member.
The original owner's family was originally from the neighboring Luchuan County and was quite wealthy. However, five years ago, a major riot broke out in Luchuan County. Her parents were killed by bandits while protecting her on the way to escape, and all their money was stolen. The original owner fled to Lvtian County.
After the riot was quelled, the original owner returned to bury her parents, but her original land and house were seized by a petty official. She was unable to appeal to the authorities and was instead driven out of Luchuan County, ending up here. The village chief saw that she was pitiful and a scholar, so he took it upon himself to lend her an empty house in his home. Later, he also provided her with some money from time to time.
Zhang Ting came to the village chief about the exemption from land tax. According to the current regulations, a scholar who passed the county-level imperial examination could be exempted from land tax on 80 mu of land, and a candidate who passed the provincial-level imperial examination could be exempted from land tax on 200 mu of land.
The original owner had passed the imperial examination last year and registered eighty acres of land belonging to the village chief under his name. However, he did not receive any promises regarding this benefit, as if he had been taken advantage of for free. The original owner was reluctant to ask for money because he was grateful to the village chief for taking him in and for his past kindness. So the matter was put on hold until now.
The village chief's house is the largest in the village, with twelve rooms, all of which are high-quality brick and tile houses, clean and neatly arranged.
When Zhang Ting arrived, the whole family of more than ten people was there. The village chief was smoking a pipe in the yard while talking to his eldest daughter, the village chief's husband and two sons-in-law were preparing dinner in the kitchen, and the younger children were reading in the house.
When the village chief saw her arrive, he greeted her with a smile: "Scholar Zhang, you've arrived! We just happened to have slaughtered a chicken at home today, so we brought it over to entertain you!"
The village chief had gray hair but was full of energy. He wore a dark blue jacket and black cotton trousers, looking simple and neat. His voice was gentle, making people feel like they were bathed in a spring breeze.
Zhang Ting walked in with a smile and first greeted the village chief, saying, "I should have come to pay my respects earlier, but I was ill a few days ago and did not come to see you. I am truly sorry."
The village chief stood up, took the newcomer's hand, and carefully examined her.
The young woman in front of me was dressed in a neat maroon winter robe. She had a tall and straight figure, a beautiful face, and a sharp look in her eyes. Her gaze was gentle yet revealed a hint of strength. Her speech and manners were elegant and composed, making her unforgettable.
It's clearly the same person, but the feeling is completely different.
The village chief was stunned, and hesitated slightly before asking, "You...you are Scholar Zhang?"
Zhang Ting helped her sit down, and asked with a smile, "If I am not, then who am I?"
The village chief's daughter couldn't see anything wrong with it; she only thought Zhang Ting was more handsome and had a more imposing presence. "Mother, you've really gotten old. Who else could this be but Scholar Zhang?"
She inquired about Zhang Ting's health, and after a brief exchange of pleasantries, the atmosphere warmed up again.
When Zhang Ting explained her purpose in the courtyard, she looked troubled. "I shouldn't have brought this up, as it would make me feel indebted. But now that there's no income at home and life is getting harder, I have no choice but to bring it up." At that time, the tax for eighty mu of land was about three taels of silver, which was not a small amount.
Zhang Ting didn't say it explicitly, but the village chief knew why she came. He remained calm, took her hand, and said, "You child, why are you only saying it now that life is hard? Eldest daughter! Go to my room and get a silver ingot."
This ingot is worth ten taels of silver.
The eldest daughter was initially quite unhappy to hear this, since this poor scholar had already borrowed so much money from their family.
But Zhang Ting wasn't there to borrow money. She smiled, and the old woman pretended to be naive. "You've misunderstood, sir. That's not what I meant today."
"I have come here today for the tax on those eighty acres of land. Last year I passed the imperial examination and became a scholar, which exempted me from the tax on those eighty acres of land. Your youngest daughter even came to see me the other day."
“Your family’s eighty acres of land have been registered under my name for over a year, but… the due payment has not been made.”
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