In the afternoon, instead of going to the river, the three of them went to the wasteland on the mountain. Chen Chong went first, while Tian Yu and Tang Yuan deliberately arrived late. They agreed to clear the weeds first. Ever since Tang Yuan got his furry friend, he takes it everywhere, and now he's started running around everywhere again. Tian Yu was worried they'd wander off and get lost, so she had to remind them every now and then. But after working for a short while, another person came to help. Zhao Jinxin had heard that Chen Chong was going to cultivate this land, so he came to come and lend a hand. Tian Yu also wanted to ask him about building a house, so this saved her the trouble of running back and forth.
Zhao Jinxin assumed Tian Yu was just asking casually, so he gave a brief explanation: if it were like his family's, it would probably cost twenty or thirty taels of silver. But if they wanted something sturdier and larger, including labor, fifty taels would be enough. Tian Yu thought it was much less than she had expected, which meant she would still have some money left over.
Tian Yu asked Zhao Jinxin if he could help her find people to build a house. Zhao Jinxin was taken aback at first, and after confirming several times that it was indeed a house to be built, he seemed somewhat incredulous. Seeing Zhao Jinxin's skeptical look, Tian Yu stopped what she was doing and said earnestly, "I want to build a house, could you please help me find some people? Or I could just contract it out to you directly. As for the price, how much do you charge per day for this kind of work?"
"Ah, oh, I'm not really sure either. No one in the village has built a new house in a long time. Usually, we just help out with a meal, but it's usually only ten to twenty coins a day. Are you sure you want to build a house?"
"Yes, I'll draw up the specific structure of the house after I've finished planting the land in a few days and give it to you. You can find people first. I won't provide meals, but I'll pay them twenty coins a day. You'll be in charge of the contracting and supervising, and that'll be thirty coins a day. What do you think?"
"Really?"
"Do you think I'm joking with you?" Tian Yu said angrily, putting her hands on her hips when she saw that he still doubted her.
Chen Chong, who had been watching the show from the sidelines, finally smiled and said, "That's great, Brother Zhao. Don't forget about me, Brother Chen. I was the first to sign up to work with you. Don't forget me."
"Not at all, Brother Chen, you're too kind. It would be great if you were willing to help, but there aren't many capable men in this village, and I don't know where to find someone right now."
"So, will Brother Zhao help or not?"
"I'll definitely help, but my sister-in-law needs to give me some time." Zhao Jinxin nodded in agreement. He was naturally willing to help. There were many expenses in the family. His younger brother needed to study and take exams, and his younger sister was about to get married. The family's expenses were also very high. How long could they last with just his father's money? How could he not want such a good opportunity?
"Don't worry, there's no rush. You can start building it once you've gathered enough people."
Zhao Jinxin finally accepted it, and the three of them discussed the details for a long time. Tian Yu didn't know much about building houses, so the details were left to Zhao Jinxin and Chen Chong to solve together. Tian Yu would draw a sketch for them to refer to when the house was built.
As the sun was about to set, the weeds on this large patch of wasteland were finally cleared away, and the surrounding fences were removed. Tomorrow, the bamboo and willow trees will be re-installed, and then things can be planted. The only problem is the lack of water; water has to be carried up from a great distance, which is a challenge for Tian Yu. She needs to think of a compromise.
Thanks to Zhao Jinxin's help, otherwise she and Chen Chong wouldn't have been able to finish the work in an afternoon. Zhao Jinxin probably does much more than his younger brother Zhao Jincheng; he's clearly the pillar of the family.
In the following days, Chen Chong and Tian Yu cut bamboo and wood together. In the afternoon, Chen Chong found an oxcart to transport the wood up the mountain and fenced off the land. Tian Yu asked him where he borrowed the wood, and Chen Chong said it was from the village, borrowed with the help of Zhao Jinxin. Fortunately, they had the oxcart; otherwise, it would have taken them half a day to transport all that wood. The fence took them three days to complete. Then, they used the oxcart to haul water and plant the land. Tian Yu planted a quarter of the land with soybeans, and the rest with half peanuts and half corn. The peanuts were more difficult to grow because they needed to loosen the soil and make ridges, so it took two days. Fortunately, the entire planting took four days, and they finally finished planting everything. As the sun set, looking at the cultivated land, Tian Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although they were busy planting these past few days, they would sit down and rest together when they were tired. When Tian Yu was in a good mood, she would sing while working. Sometimes, Chen Chong would also ask Tian Yu to sing a song. Thinking of all this, and gazing into Chen Chong's eyes, Tian Yu felt this moment was beautiful. They were both content, their eyes filled with each other. If it weren't for Chen Chong, she might not have been able to farm this land. Seeing Chen Chong covered in sweat, Tian Yu took out a handkerchief and stood on tiptoe to wipe it for him. Chen Chong looked at Tian Yu with deep affection and reached out to brush the stray hairs from her cheek. Then they both smiled—a smile of joy, contentment, happiness, and each other's presence…
On her way back, she went to the river to check on Tangyuan and Gouzi. These past few days, she'd been busy farming and hadn't had much time to spend with Tangyuan. Most of the time, Tangyuan played with Gouzi and Xiaohua by the river. Gouzi had been working hard and had earned quite a bit of money these past few days. He'd even taken another girl from the village to catch snails with him, giving her ten coins a day. She told her that this girl, Shuang'er, was about his age and, like him, had lost her parents. Her family depended on her earnings; she had a four-year-old sister named Xiaoju and a two-year-old brother named Xiaobao. Her grandmother was planning to sell Xiaoju as a child bride. Shuang'er disagreed, but had no choice. If she could earn more money, perhaps her grandmother wouldn't sell her sister. When Gouzi found out, he let her catch snails with him, and Xiaoju helped out too. Gouzi also gave her three coins a day, and only then did her grandmother temporarily agree to let Xiaoju stay.
Looking at the group of adorable children by the river, Tian Yu hoped they would all have a happy home. But reality was cruel. Looking at their thin bodies, pale and emaciated faces, and tattered clothes, some of which didn't fit them at all, Tian Yu was moved. She turned to Chen Chong and said, "Let's build an orphanage someday, specifically to take in homeless children. What do you think?"
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