After Xie Yushu finished speaking, she saw Han Zhongyu looking at her with a probing expression, and thinking that he didn't fully understand, she continued...
"As for how much snow?"
The north wind sweeps across the land, snapping the white grass; in the eighth month of the lunar calendar, snow flies in the northern regions.
Suddenly, like a spring breeze overnight, thousands of pear trees burst into bloom.
Scattered through the beaded curtain and damp silk screen, the fox fur coat is not warm and the brocade quilt is thin.
The general's horn bow is difficult to control, and the protector's iron armor is cold and hard to wear.
That's about it!
Even wearing a fox fur coat doesn't feel warm enough, and even a brocade quilt feels too thin; I need to layer on two!"
Han Zhongyu stared at her in utter shock.
"You didn't finish your poem. What happened next?"
Seeing him staring at her with the eager look of a curious child, Xie Yushu had no choice but to continue reading.
"The vast sea is frozen solid, hundreds of feet thick; gloomy clouds gather, stretching for thousands of miles."
The general set out a feast to welcome the returning guests, accompanied by the sounds of the erhu, pipa, and qiang flute.
As the evening snow falls heavily outside the camp gate, the wind whips the red flag, freezing it stiff and unmoving.
At the east gate of Luntai, I saw you off; when you left, the road to Tianshan was covered in snow.
The mountain path winds and turns, and you are nowhere to be seen; only the horse tracks remain on the snow.
That's all.
This is how much snow there is! And this is how cold it is. Although this isn't the far north, it's a little warmer than the poems I've read, but not by much!
The key issue is that the vast majority of ordinary people live in thatched huts, which are vulnerable to strong winds and heavy snow!
Han Zhongyu nodded in deep agreement, then continued to press, "You didn't finish reciting the previous poem either, did you? Please continue."
Xie Yushu was speechless. I just wanted to give you a basic understanding of the weather in the North, and you've become so engrossed in listening to poetry!
But seeing his eager and impatient look, I thought to myself, since you're so eager to learn, I'll give you a little demonstration so you can experience the brilliance of the Poet Saint!
Feeling smug, Xie Yushu stood up, dusted off her clothes, put one hand behind her back, and stroked her non-existent beard with the other, adopting the demeanor of an old scholar. After a moment's thought, she shook her head and turned away.
"In August, the autumn wind howls fiercely, tearing away the thatch from my roof. The thatch flies across the river and scatters on the riverbanks; the higher pieces get caught in the treetops, while the lower pieces drift and sink into the ponds."
The village children of the south, taking advantage of my old age and weakness, dared to rob me to my face. They openly carried away my thatch into the bamboo grove, leaving me parched and unable to call out. I returned, leaning on my cane, and sighed to myself.
The wind subsided in an instant, the clouds turned inky black, and autumn's gloom deepened into dusk. My cotton quilt, cold as iron for many years, was torn by my unruly child's restless sleep. The roof leaked above my bed, leaving no dry spot; the rain fell like a never-ending cascade. Since the chaos of war, I've had little sleep; how can I endure this long, damp night?
"If only I could have a thousand spacious houses, to shelter all the poor and needy, making them rejoice! Firm as a mountain, unshaken by wind and rain! Alas! When will such a house suddenly appear before my eyes? Even if my own hut is broken and I freeze to death, I would be content!"
After reciting the poem with affected airs, Xie Yushu glanced at Han Zhongyu sideways.
This guy was indeed stunned, muttering to himself.
"If only I could have a vast mansion with thousands of rooms, to shelter all the poor and needy, making them all smile with joy! A place where they could stand firm against wind and rain, as solid as a mountain. Alas! When will such a house suddenly appear before my eyes? Even if my own humble dwelling is broken and I freeze to death, I would be content!"
What a broad and generous mind this is!
Who wrote this poem? It is a great loss to the court that such a talented person, who is so concerned about the country and its people, is confined to a thatched hut!
Could you please introduce him to me? I will certainly recommend him for an official position in the court!
Han Zhongyu looked anxious, wishing he could see this person immediately and have a long talk with him!
Xie Yushu secretly rolled her eyes. I still want to meet the Poet Saint! There's a difference of over a thousand years between us! Where am I supposed to meet him?!
However, though he thought it, he couldn't say it out loud, so he said with a hint of regret...
"I have only read his poems by chance and have never met him. The person who wrote this poem is named Du Pu, courtesy name Zimei, and calls himself Shaoling Yela. As for where he is from and whether he is still alive, we do not know. After all, he was so old when he wrote this poem that he could not even keep up with the children!"
Han Zhongyu frowned and muttered unwillingly.
"Shaoling Wild Old Man? Shaoling? Never heard of this place? Could it be some small village? I'll have someone inquire about it later. Such a talented person, yet he's ended up in such a poor state! What a pity!"
Are you looking at a poetry collection? Is it still available?
"It's gone! I only saw it by chance when my grandfather was practicing medicine. He left after seeing it, and the man was very poor. I don't know where he went after that!"
Xie Yushu didn't want to continue this topic and instead asked...
"Aren't we talking about the problem of people suffering from the cold due to the weather?"
What I'm trying to say is that I know a way to build houses that is sturdier than thatched houses and cheaper than brick houses. It doesn't cost much, and ordinary people should be able to afford it. It's just that no one has promoted it, so it hasn't spread. If adults have the ability, they might as well send people to build a few houses like this in various villages and towns so that everyone can follow suit!
Xie Yushu didn't mention building her own earthen kiln to fire tiles, since the base of the kiln alone would cost several taels of silver, which not every family could afford. So she went straight to talking about the old-style bungalows she remembered from the 1990s.
Han Zhongyu had only mentioned it casually, not expecting Xie Yushu to offer any useful advice. He was focused on figuring out which of his friends had traveled extensively and inquired about places like Shaoling. Suddenly hearing Xie Yushu's brilliant solution to this problem immediately piqued his interest. He forgot about finding anyone and immediately pressed her for details.
"You only found out about this by chance? What kind of house is it? Is it really that cheap and sturdy?"
"Yes, I heard an uncle mention it when I was practicing medicine with my grandfather. My grandfather also discussed it with that uncle. They both thought it was feasible and planned to build a clinic to try it out after the harvest season. But something happened later, so it didn't work out!"
Xie Yushu, without batting an eye, pulled out her all-powerful grandfather to take the blame!
Han Zhongyu was delighted and invited Xie Yushu to talk to him in detail.
Xie Yushu recalled the houses in rural northern China in the 1990s, the old-style bungalows that were transitioning from adobe houses to cement concrete houses. The house could be made of stone or brick, or adobe if you really didn't have the money. The key was the roof.
The roof of an old bungalow doesn't need to be made in an A-shape. It only needs to be slightly higher in the middle than at the front and back to facilitate drainage. It can be completely covered with wooden boards, straw mats, sand and loess, and then compacted. It is cheaper than tiles and stronger than thatch, and it will basically not be damaged by strong winds and snow!
Once built, it won't need renovation for at least eight to ten years, and it's even warmer than a thatched hut.
While thinking, Xie Yushu told Han Zhongyu the general steps. Han Zhongyu picked up a pen and wrote them down one by one. After Xie Yushu finished speaking, he immediately called someone to find a master architect to take a look and see how the house built would turn out!
With his major concern now resolved, Han Zhongyu's expression relaxed. He asked Xie Yushu what her plans were, and told her not to hesitate to ask if she needed his help if she wanted to open a clinic or anything like that!
Xie Yushu thought to herself: They've finally asked me, so she didn't hold back and asked.
"I want to buy a piece of land in Tai'an Prefecture, at the border of Jinyang and Chuzhou. Ten to twenty mu is fine. The land doesn't have to be very good, but it would be best if it were adjacent to mountains."
"If you don't want good soil, what will you use it for?"
"Let's build a mountain resort!"
“Building a mountain villa? This isn’t just about the money spent on buying the land; there’s also a lot of investment to be made later. Besides, your family is in Yonghe County, yet you’ve come all the way to Tai’an Prefecture to build a mountain villa. Is it because you’re reluctant to leave your homeland? Did your family all agree to this?”
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