"We also need to set up a kitchen and a washroom; everything needs to be fully prepared."
As Xu Han spoke, her eyelids grew heavier and heavier. She had gotten up too early today and was so sleepy. What should she do?
Lu Chuan put his arm around Xu Han's waist and whispered, "You should go to sleep first. We can talk about this after you wake up."
Upon hearing Lu Chuan's words, Xu Han immediately closed her eyes completely and fell into a deep sleep.
When she woke up again, there was no one beside her. She reached out and touched the temperature of the bed, which was now cold, indicating that she had been up for quite some time.
Xu Han didn't delay. Hearing the children's voices outside, she went straight out of the room.
When Granny Ma saw Xu Han come out, she said, "Madam is awake. Master has taken the others to the valley. They said they are going to clear the land for building a house."
Xu Han glanced at the needlework in Granny Ma's hands and the small stool beside her. It seemed that she was staying at home to take care of the four children.
After all, these four children are still young, and the family really needs someone to be there.
Xu Han smiled and said, "Okay, I'll go check on them. You keep working! Take a break when you're tired. Don't just keep doing needlework; your eyes won't be able to take it for long."
When Granny Ma heard her master say this, she felt a warmth in her heart and agreed with tears in her eyes.
Xu Han didn't dare look at her again, wondering why she was so agitated when she had only said it casually. She then quickly walked out, afraid that if she was even a second later, Granny Ma would burst into tears.
These were just simple questions to Xu Han, but they felt very different to others, especially to someone like Granny Ma, who had been a slave for half her life and had never heard any other master say such things.
How could one not be flattered upon hearing this? Of course, Xu Han wasn't particularly aware of their past experiences, and for her as a modern person, this was simply a gesture of concern from her boss.
For her, who was used to eating flatbread in her previous life, this was perfectly normal. But the servants were different; they didn't think that way at all.
When Xu Han reached the other side of the stream, she could see a group of people standing in the valley on the other side, all of them busy and carefully clearing away the stones and weeds on the ground.
As they approached, everyone who saw her wanted to stop and greet her, but Xu Han simply waved her hand, indicating that they should continue with their own business and not worry about her.
Then he turned around and came to Grandpa Zhao's side. When the Taoist priest and Lu Chuan saw this, they also quickly came over.
Xu Han smiled and said, "Grandpa Zhao, you don't need to work with them anymore. It's so hot, you should rest at home. Daoist, you should go back and rest too. Now that we have people to do the work, you won't have to work so hard anymore."
Upon hearing this, the Taoist priest waved his hand and said, "Haha, I've gotten used to working for you every day for so many years. It's really not my habit to stop and rest all of a sudden."
"Don't worry about me. I'm bored by myself anyway. Don't fret, I'm not rushing the work anymore. I'm just helping them out, mainly to keep an eye on them."
Grandpa Zhao laughed and said, "Hahaha, I just happened to be free right now, so I came over to take a look. I'll be going back soon; I still have to teach those two little rascals a lesson!"
Since Mu'er and Ze'er started their education, Grandpa Zhao has rarely been involved in farm work, except during busy farming seasons. Otherwise, he doesn't usually go to the fields.
Besides providing early education for his two children, Grandpa Zhao continued to write medical books in his spare time, just as before.
After listening to their conversation, Xu Han sighed and looked at Lu Chuan beside her. Knowing that he wasn't one to stay idle, she simply stopped talking.
Well, this whole family is used to hardship, and none of them can stay idle. Xu Han knew that it would be pointless to persuade them, so she simply kept quiet.
After a while, he continued, "Have you drawn the exact location? I see you've cleared quite a large area in just a short time."
Lu Chuan explained, "It's decided. We'll build it here near the foot of the mountain. This area is relatively flat, and like where we live, it's on higher ground, so we won't have to worry about flooding in the future."
Xu Han asked, "Hmm, this place is quite big. With so many of you, you should be able to clear it all this afternoon, right?"
"The site for building the house can be cleared, but the yard is quite large, so it will probably take another day to completely clear it. I plan to clear it all out before starting construction, as the larger site will make it easier to build."
The Taoist priest laughed and said, "Hahaha, no rush, with so many of us, we can get things done quickly."
"Yes, our team is much bigger now. This little bit of work isn't enough for them."
As soon as Xu Han finished speaking, everyone burst into laughter.
After a few jokes, Xu Han went home with Grandpa Zhao. Grandpa Zhao took the two children to class, while Xu Han went back inside to prepare the blueprints for the new house.
The blueprints are the same as what we discussed with Lu Chuan today: a neat row of ten large brick and tile houses. The servants will probably live in about seven of them, and the remaining three houses can be used to store grain for the time being.
Then they built a large kitchen and tool shed on the west side, next to which was the shower room. Further ahead were separate toilets for men and women.
Xu Han reserved the eastern area for building a warehouse, but according to the current plan, the bricks and tiles she had previously purchased would definitely not be enough. Therefore, she decided to postpone construction and reserve the space for later when she had more time.
After finishing her painting, Xu Han admired her work with great satisfaction. She liked it more and more the more she looked at it. What should she do? Now she even wanted to live in the house.
He thought to himself, "Sigh, I'm really too kind-hearted. What master treats his servants so well!"
Rather than calling Xu Han a saint, it's more accurate to say that she wanted to prevent these people from experiencing the suffering she endured in her past life, perhaps as a way of showing some compassion for her former self.
She simply wanted to hold up an umbrella for others while she was able, so that they wouldn't lose heart in the world.
In her previous life, Xu Han was a dutiful ox or horse, with endless work to do every day.
And most importantly, renting a house is a problem. Good houses are too expensive to afford, and the cheaper ones are terrible, not only in terms of environment but also in terms of hygiene.
Xu Han understands all too well what it's like to rent a house. Every day is exhausting, and you can't even get a proper rest when you get home. The worst part is the fear that the landlord might kick you out at any time, leaving you homeless.
Before, even their living environment was unsafe, and as a girl, she was really afraid of those things. That's why Xu Han went to great lengths to build them a house so they would have a place to live in peace.
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