Chapter 73 Building a New House
"Since you like fighting so much, when we get to the battlefield, I'll have you stand at the forefront and charge into battle. Your little bit of punching and kicking skills won't do you justice. The real test is on the battlefield."
Li Zhengyang rubbed his nose. It was all Li Ding's fault for stirring up trouble and seeking the limelight. Now look what happened; he got the limelight, but he also got into trouble and dragged Li Ding down with him.
His mother had taught him to keep a low profile in the army, saying that people with low profiles are often the safest, but he made a fool of himself on the very first day.
Li Ding fared even worse. He was beaten black and blue and then publicly reprimanded. People would find out who started it all. He was left dejected and limp when he returned, looking like a dried-up old cucumber.
Where is his former ambition to form cliques and become the boss under people's noses?
Li Zhengyang sat back down next to Xie Pei, exasperated: "He insulted you too, aren't you angry?"
No wonder his mother kept reminding him to follow Xie Pei even when he was almost out of the city gate, saying that Xie Pei was smarter than him. He didn't realize that, but he did realize that Xie Pei was more patient.
"Why don't you say something?" Li Zhengyang had never met such a difficult person to communicate with. He scratched his head in frustration and spoke his mind: "Mingyue told me before that you were a good person. It seems that your good point is that you are quiet and reserved."
"Angry." Perhaps it was because he heard him mention Zhu Mingyue that Xie Pei finally reacted.
Seeing that he was finally willing to talk to him, Li Zhengyang got excited: "Then why don't you beat him up with me?"
"Yeah, you hit him," Xie Pei reluctantly gave him a look, "and then what?"
Li Zhengyang: ...
And then they got targeted.
He now suspects that Zhu Mingyue definitely has a soft spot for this brother-in-law. Sometimes she won't even bother to talk to him, but as soon as she opens her mouth, her sarcastic skills are off the charts. Who could stand that?
Zhu Mingyue returned home alone and suddenly felt a sense of emptiness.
Even though Xie Pei rarely spoke at home, he always felt incredibly safe with someone there. Now that Xie Pei was gone, the furnishings in the house seemed older than usual, and the room was dark and damp, filling him with a strange sense of unease.
"Er Ya".
Er Ya tilted her head, flapped her wings, and flew onto his shoulder.
Zhu Mingyue stroked his smooth feathers, finally feeling a sense of security, as if there were still living creatures in the house. However, as he nuzzled Er Ya's head, a hint of melancholy crossed his voice: "From now on, no one will take you hunting in the mountains anymore. You'll have to go out alone as a bird."
He definitely wouldn't dare go up the mountain. After Xie Pei left, Er Ya had to fend for herself.
Although Er Ya's little head is more intelligent than other birds, it can't handle the pain of parting. It only knows that its usual partner is not home today.
Zhu Mingyue gave Er Ya some leftover scraps of meat from when she made jerky for Xie Pei. It wasn't very fresh, and Er Ya peeked at it listlessly, eating it without any enjoyment. She probably couldn't stand it anymore, so she cackled at him twice and skillfully flew off to find food.
Zhu Mingyue: ...
Now he's truly all alone at home.
Zhu Mingyue sighed. She had no mood to cook and little appetite. She brewed a pot of hot tea and ate some pastries to make do with lunch.
Er Ya flew back in the evening, her stomach bulging, clearly having fed herself.
Seeing Zhu Mingyue sitting in the yard eating, I didn't disturb her. Instead, I flew straight to the eaves, curled my head into my fur, and started to sleep.
Zhu Mingyue cooked herself some porridge for dinner, along with some pickled vegetables she had made herself. These pickled vegetables had been prepared before the New Year. Li Zhengyang had tasted some and liked them very much, and even gave him a small jar. Afterwards, he complained to him that his parents liked them even more than he did, and that he hadn't eaten much of them, letting them have them all. Zhu Mingyue comforted him, saying that she would pickle some more for him in the spring.
Before spring even arrived, they had to go south to fight. If it weren't for the fact that the vegetable jars were inconvenient to carry, he would have simply given them all the leftovers from home.
With Xie Pei not home, there will be no one to get up before dawn to make him breakfast. That's why he cooks a big pot of porridge at night, so he can make do with it again tomorrow morning.
Zhu Mingyue went inside early that night. He was still a little scared because no one was home. The oil lamp was burning, and Zhu Mingyue didn't intend to turn it off. The light in the room would at least reduce his fear a little.
He and Xie Pei's bedding was neatly folded. Zhu Mingyue thought for a moment and put one quilt into the box. He would sleep alone, and one quilt would be enough.
As she unfolded the blanket, a small object the size of a stone was suddenly lifted up. Zhu Mingyue didn't even see what it was before instinctively catching it in a panic.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a jade pendant with simple carvings on it.
I walked up to the oil lamp and examined it closely by its light. It was a little rabbit, and the carving was not even simple; it was rather rough.
Could it be that Xie Pei carved it on a whim? He thought to himself that Xie Pei had this kind of handicraft hobby in addition to martial arts and hunting.
Zhu Mingyue was a complete novice when it came to jade. He only felt that the texture was soft and delicate, and the jade was crystal clear. It was slightly inferior to the crescent-shaped jade pendant that Brother Cui had given him before, but it was definitely a fine piece of jade.
It's a pity that Xie Pei's carving skills are mediocre; I don't know if he hasn't finished carving it yet or if he forgot about it.
There seemed to be an uneven spot on the back of the jade pendant. Zhu Mingyue turned the jade pendant over and held it up to the light, her pupils suddenly widening.
He murmured "Zhu Mingyue." Although he didn't know many characters, he was familiar with how to write his own name, as Cui Jian had taught him.
His name is engraved on the back. How could... how could his name be engraved on the back?
The answer is obvious: this jade pendant is a gift that Xie Pei wants to give him.
A strong, strange feeling swept through her heart, like an electric current coursing through her, leaving her tingling and numb. Zhu Mingyue didn't know how to describe it.
Why did Xie Pei give him the jade pendant he had carved himself, and why didn't he give it to him personally, but instead left it hidden where he was supposed to sleep, waiting for him to find it?
But what could he do even if he found out? Xie Pei had already left the city, and even if he had questions, he couldn't ask him directly.
Complex emotions overwhelmed him. He stood there blankly for a long time, his eyes darting around, before finally finding a reasonable explanation for his doubts.
He could give Xie Pei weapons, or have Xie Pei's name engraved on them; Xie Pei could also have his name engraved on the jade pendant he gave him. Although they were not related by blood, they were as close as family, and it was perfectly normal for them to care for each other.
After figuring it out, he suddenly understood.
He examined it carefully again, his mood completely different from before. He felt he had gone too far. The jade pendant's carving wasn't bad; upon closer inspection, one could even discern a touch of playfulness and cuteness. Whether it looked good or not was secondary; the key was that his name was specially engraved on the back.
He was quite pleased that Xie Peiken had put in so much effort for him.
The next morning, Zhu Mingyue heated up the leftover porridge from the night before and ate it. She patted Er Ya's head and said, "I'm going to earn money now. You stay home and take good care of the house. I'll bring you some good food from town this afternoon."
Er Ya rubbed her head against him, giggling.
Since the government began forcibly conscripting soldiers, the town has become much quieter, and young men are even rarer.
Fortunately, He An was an only child, his mother was seriously ill, and he was not very old, so he escaped this conscription.
However, after this incident, only he, He An, and Xiao Cui remained in the shop.
He An took down the "Closed" sign and looked at the crowds coming and going on the street, feeling somewhat sad.
"What's wrong?" Zhu Mingyue couldn't help but ask him.
He An shook his head, "It's nothing, I just feel like there aren't as many customers as before." Not only were there fewer customers than before, but today's customer flow was a full third less than usual.
Zhu Mingyue: "It's not like before, there are far fewer people in the town." Especially young men, this group is the main consumers of their dumpling shop, so it will naturally have an impact.
His family has made a name for themselves in the town, so their reputation is naturally good. As long as people are willing to eat out, his family is the first choice, and they don't have to worry about not having customers.
Looking at other eateries and restaurants, they are now deserted, with very few customers.
Zhu Mingyue comforted him, "Don't think too much about it. Earning less or more is still earning more. Be content with what you have!"
He An naturally understood this principle, nodded, and continued wiping the table.
...
Another cold snap has passed, and the weather has warmed up completely.
Zhu Mingyue came out of the house, and a warm breeze swept by, without any feeling of being cold and biting.
The big tree in front of the yard, which was full of withered branches just a few days ago, seemed to have come back to life overnight, sprouting tender green buds. The wild grass in the fields and along the roadsides also began to sprout.
Spring has truly arrived. Zhu Mingyue felt a bit hot, so she went back inside and took off the thick cotton-padded coat she had worn all winter, putting on a lighter shirt instead.
After a month of anxiety, the townspeople finally relaxed, more and more people walked the streets, and the dumpling shop business gradually recovered.
This was a good sign. Zhu Mingyue handed a freshly made dry noodle dish to Xiao Cui, who had come to the kitchen to urge her to hurry.
Next to him was a helper hired more than half a month ago, who took over Li Zhengyang's shift, and was now skillfully pulling noodles.
Now, the shop has added selling noodles to its business. Zhu Mingyue can make the broth and uses high-quality ingredients. Whether it's pork, eggs, or vegetables, she doesn't skimp on anything. So, after eating there a few times, everyone is happy to eat there. As a result, Zhu Mingyue has earned an extra income from selling noodles.
He An was even happier than him for making more money. He even asked him privately why he hadn't complained about being tired before, but was now thinking about working hard.
"I'm planning to save money to build a house," Zhu Mingyue explained to him.
After Xie Pei left, he seemed to be living in a daze for a short period of time, feeling that something was missing from his life.
It wasn't until Xiao Cui suddenly mentioned that a family in town had gotten into a fight in the street because they had encroached on two-tenths of an acre of their neighbor's land while building their house that he suddenly remembered that he seemed to have forgotten something.
He had previously discussed with Xie Pei about rebuilding the Xie family's current house after the New Year when the weather warmed up. If Xie Pei hadn't left, the project would probably already be in its initial stages.
How could he have forgotten all of a sudden?
Zhu Mingyue's life has a new purpose, and the house, which has two entrances and two exits, is quite expensive.
Zhu Mingyue had indeed saved some money before, but Xie Pei was later conscripted. Before Xie Pei left, Zhu Mingyue prepared some supplies for him, which cost a lot of money. Although Xie Pei was going to fight, he was still worried because Xie Pei didn't have a single tael of silver on him.
Xie Pei refused, but he insisted on secretly hiding money in the package before Xie Pei noticed.
Over time, their earnings dwindled, and later, as the business environment in town deteriorated, their shops no longer earned as much as before, making it exceptionally difficult to earn money.
But ever since he thought about building a house, his desire became more and more urgent, and he began to actively think of ways to make more money.
He An was extremely pleased to see this; his shopkeeper had finally figured it out.
Zhu Mingyue became completely absorbed in building the house.
He drew design sketches every night, and after using up a lot of paper and ink, he finally produced the one he was most satisfied with.
His design for the house was the same as the Xie family's ancestral home, facing south, except that he enclosed the open space in front of it within his own walled enclosure.
Currently, it's just him and Xie Pei at home. His sexual orientation is different from others, so he definitely won't get married and have children in the future, but Xie Pei will probably still get married and have children in the future.
So he prepared a total of four rooms, with the first room being the back room upon entering. The second courtyard would be even larger, where a tree could be planted or flowers could be grown. An additional covered walkway could be built, where wooden branches could be hung. Er Ya could rest there, sheltered from the wind and rain.
Besides these, there are two main rooms and east and west wing rooms. The west wing room occupies a smaller area because there is a kitchen next to it.
They barely managed to build a three-courtyard complex, but in reality, there was only one outhouse; the rest was all walls.
Zhu Mingyue has a light appetite and can't stand strange smells. It's rare for her to be able to make her own decisions about building a house, so the outhouse must be separate and far away. It can't be next to him in the second courtyard.
Instead of rushing to the county to find a craftsman, Zhu Mingyue took the blueprints and visited the village chief's house.
Li Zhengyang's mother clutched the drawings tightly, her eyes gleaming. "Mingyue, did you draw all of these? They're so beautiful!"
Zhu Mingyue smiled and said, "I also referenced other people's courtyards; the styles are similar. But there are even more magnificent ones, proper three-courtyard houses, but they take up a lot of space and cost a lot, which I can't afford."
Li Zhengyang's mother was so surprised that she couldn't speak. After a long while, she murmured, "This is already very big, and there are many rooms."
Her tone was filled with envy. She had long planned to build a house, originally intending to build two houses next to her own. But after seeing Zhu Mingyue's drawing today, it was like opening the door to a new world. She also wanted a house with two courtyards and two entrances!
The village chief, watching the two exchange pleasantries, suddenly said, "Zhengming told me a few years ago that Xie Pei intended to buy the land in the backyard to build a house."
Zhu Mingyue hadn't expected Xie Pei to have already informed her about this matter beforehand, which saved her the trouble of asking him to speak. She directly took out the silver and got straight to the point: "I want to buy that land. You two have already seen the blueprints for this courtyard. It's not enough to build it on the land of the Xie family's ancestral home."
Li Zhengyang's mother nodded in agreement: "Yes, the Xie family's property isn't very big to begin with. They definitely can't build without buying land."
Village Chief: "Alright, it's not a difficult matter anyway. I'll go to the county government tomorrow and take care of it."
"Thank you for your trouble." After saying that, Zhu Mingyue sat down firmly without saying that she was leaving.
This is completely out of character for Zhu Mingyue. Li Zhengyang's mother often invites him to her house to sit and chat, but he has rarely come over. Yet today, he has stayed on his own initiative.
The village chief, true to his title, saw right through the surface: "Is there anything else? Just tell me, and I'll do whatever I can for you."
Zhu Mingyue smiled sheepishly: "Besides Brother Zhengming, I don't know many people in the county. Could you please help me find out who the craftsmen are for building houses?"
Before the village chief could speak, Li Zhengyang's mother pretended to scold him, saying, "You child, it's not a big deal, why can't you speak up? Your uncle does know some craftsmen in the county."
Village Chief: "There are two, but that's definitely not enough. I'll go find them tomorrow and introduce you to a few more skilled ones."
Zhu Mingyue thanked her repeatedly.
The village chief was efficient; within a few days, the land was purchased and the craftsmen were found.
A total of about ten carpenters, masons, and stonemasons were hired; they all seemed to be honest and simple people.
Zhu Mingyue had made it clear to them beforehand that the construction period would be calculated by the day, at 35 coins per day, and that lunch would be provided every day until the house was completed.
Only after these people expressed no objection did Zhu Mingyue feel completely relieved.
And so, the construction of the Xie family's new house began in a grand and bustling manner.
The Xie family built a new house, which caused quite a stir in the village.
Some people stood at a distance watching as the craftsmen razed the Xie family's ancestral home to the ground in just a few days, and couldn't help but sigh, "This jinx is going to cause chaos!"
"This is terrible! The Xie family kid has only been gone a short while, and this jinx is already starting to cause trouble."
"That's right. One house collapsed before, but the rest were still fine. But he just demolished them all."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
