Carefree Farmwife: Training the Husband, Raising the Bun - Chapter 46

Madam Li quickly nodded. “I’ve already found the workers, don’t worry! But… there’s something I should tell you first, so you’ll be mentally prepared.”

Seeing Madam Li’s somewhat uneasy expression, Ying Su nodded.

“The thatched hut you used to live in was built on a small plot of vegetable land that belongs to our family. The spot isn’t very good, so once it went barren we never planted there again. Now that you want to build four rooms, that spot definitely won’t be enough.” 

“The land nearby may be deserted, but technically it still belongs to the village commons. This matter must first be reported to the village head.” Madam Li had meant to remind Ying Su about this earlier, but with Li Dalang being summoned to the yamen, she had completely forgotten.

Because of the incident with Li Ergou last time, Ying Su had already been at odds with Village Head Zhang. If he didn’t approve, things could get tricky. In truth, the land around there was very poor soil, and since it was so close to the Dongjun River, it was damp and heavy with moisture. Nobody wanted it. Madam Li was only worried that if the house was already built and someone decided to stir up trouble, it would be hard to deal with.

After thinking it through, Ying Su understood the pros and cons. She said to Madam Li, “Later, please come with me to Village Head Zhang’s house as a witness. I’ll buy that land outright.”

Madam Li smiled and nodded. She had worried that Ying Su would be reluctant to spend money, but seeing her so reasonable made her even more satisfied. Inevitably, though, it reminded her of her own ill-fated second son, and her heart sank with sorrow again.

The hawthorn fruit they had picked earlier was stored carefully in Madam Li’s house. Originally, Ying Su had planned to make them into candied hawthorn skewers to sell along the streets. But now the fruit had wilted a little, and the only option was to turn them into preserved fruit instead.

Although losing her weaving work had left Liu Chuncao a little upset, hawthorn was something that could make money. She quickly put her mind to it, and invited Ying Su to help her turn the mountain hawthorn they had picked two days ago into preserves.

The group busied themselves the whole afternoon and finally finished turning all the hawthorn into preserved fruit. Then Ying Su and Li Dalang rushed to make a batch of wooden boxes to package it all up.

Before Ying Su left with the little bun, Madam Li stopped her. “They’ll start building tomorrow. You don’t have a place to stay, so bring Huzi and stay here! Don’t refuse. He’s still so young, if he catches a chill sleeping outside, it’ll be bad!”

Ying Su’s first thought was not to stay in Madam Li’s house. She worried about what gossip might spread in the village. If rumors started flying again, it could stir up more trouble. But with the house under construction, she truly had no place to stay. If it were just her, she could make do with anything. But she also had the little bun, she could endure hardship herself, but she would never let her child suffer.

After considering, Ying Su decided to stay at Madam Li’s house.

Neither Liu Chuncao nor Li Dalang objected. After yesterday’s scene in court, Liu Chuncao had seen with her own eyes that Ying Su was no ordinary woman. She was eager to draw closer ties with her. Besides, her whole mind was on the hawthorn business now, so she welcomed Ying Su into their home with great enthusiasm.

The next day, the workers Li Dalang had hired all arrived. Since so many people were coming, but there was no kitchen to prepare meals for them, Ying Su didn’t plan to provide food. Instead, she raised the wages higher than the usual rate to make up for it.

At first, some of the men were unhappy about not having meals provided. But once they heard the wage Ying Su was offering, their faces immediately lit up. After all, what was the point of working if not to earn money? Her pay was a whole ten copper coins more than other jobs in the area.

In the village, Uncle Zhang was well-known as a master builder. He often took charge of projects, so Li Dalang had gone to him first. Not only was his craft good, he also knew plenty of workers.

Ying Su had already told Li Dalang before, the more people they hired, the faster the house would be finished. So Li Dalang asked Uncle Zhang to gather more than a dozen men. He ended up bringing in all the best builders from Dongjun Village, except for a few lazy good-for-nothings, who were replaced by skilled workers from nearby villages.

When Li Dalang had first gone to speak with the villagers, some had been unwilling. They didn’t believe that a widowed woman like Shen Cuihua, dragging a child along, could really be building a house. Although they had heard rumors that Shen Cuihua was no longer crazy, just because she wasn’t insane or foolish didn’t mean she had the money for such a thing.

But when they arrived at her place and saw she was truly preparing to build, and not just any house, but one made of blue brick, they couldn’t hide their surprise. A widow really was building a house, and a brick one at that. But where had she gotten the money?

Seeing how warmly the Li family was helping her, they quickly reached a silent agreement: the silver must have come from the Li household. Otherwise, how could a widow who struggled just to feed her child possibly have the funds to build a brick house?

The bricks and tiles had been arranged long in advance by Li Dalang. On the other side of the mountain, a family with a traditional kiln had fired them. There was no such thing as cutting corners in those days. The workmanship might not have been refined or pretty, but they were solid and durable. Ying Su was very pleased.

Although meals weren’t provided, there was no excuse not to offer tea. Nobody expected extravagance, just something to quench their thirst. Madam Li had already boiled tea early in the morning, filled all the kettles at home, and carried them over.

Li Dalang had also spoken to Ying Su beforehand. Since Uncle Zhang was the head of the crew, Ying Su went straight to him with the design plan she had drawn herself.

“Uncle, I heard from my mother-in-law that you’re the best at building houses. This will likely be the only house I’ll ever build in my life. I’d like it to follow this design. Do you think that’s possible?” Ying Su handed the drawing to Uncle Zhang.

Uncle Zhang was over forty, a sturdy man. When he first accepted the job, he had been reluctant. They said widows’ households were always full of trouble, especially one like Shen Cuihua, with all the gossip about her being cursed to bring misfortune to husbands and having a child out of wedlock. But on account of the Li family’s face, and the money, he had agreed.

When he heard Ying Su’s words, his eyes narrowed, his scorn deepening. He took the paper from her with a look of disdain, thinking to himself, ‘What would a woman know about building? And she dares to point fingers like this?’

He only meant to glance casually and then ridicule her. But the moment his eyes fell on the drawing, the words he had prepared died on his lips. His thick brows drew together as he stared intently at the neat, simple yet elegant design. The plan was detailed, easy to understand at a glance, yet thoroughly comprehensive. Only after a long while did he look up.

“Where did you get this drawing?” His tone had shifted, carrying a hint of eagerness.

Ying Su smiled faintly. “I got it from a traveling peddler. He once passed by my house and asked for a bowl of water. Seeing how run-down my home was, he gave me this plan so that when I built a house someday, it would be convenient.”

Of course, it was pure nonsense. But Uncle Zhang believed her. After all, she was just a woman. That she could have drawn it herself? Such a thought never even crossed his mind.