The Lady’s Sickly Husband

“Yes, this yard really needs repair! Xue, tell me your idea and I draw it down. Later in the afternoon after school, I’ll visit the village head. By the time when your workshop gains scale, you’ll need more workers. The head would be happy to see that.”

“I am grinding the ink for you…”

In the village house was a pleasant and harmonious picture. The man was tall and handsome while the woman was tiny and cute. Though they dressed plainly, they chatted and laughed happily, indicating their dense love.

“Here, I want a water room. The kitchen would be placed there.”

“Here, I want a wardrobe and there should be a sleeping bench…”

Mo Qianxue described while Ning Shaoqing was drawing and smiling.

It turned out that the moment Ning Shaoqing mentioned to build a workshop, the village head not only suggested to let all villagers to give a hand, but also readily allocate a piece of land next to Ning’s yard to him.

The Wang village started to boil at once!

The workshop of Ning family was going to expand and hire people again…

It was heard that Mrs. Ning had bought a piece of land at the dock…

Those who were either envious, trying to curdle up or sincerely providing help all crowded to the Ning house.

Fang Datang was a great carpenter; Liu Laoshuan was an expert in plastering; the two brothers of Wang family always helped with the restoring of the ancestral hall and were hired outside the village for part-times jobs. They were even more excellent constructors.

Originally, sister Fang, out of good intention, planned to invite the witch at the east of the village to predict a lucky day to start the construction, but Mo Qianxue stopped her, “An ordinary day is a good day.”

It was a big deal to build a house, so sister Fang persuaded her again.

Ning Shaoqing happened to walk out of the room with a book on his hand. Hearing their conversation, he didn’t look away and walked directly to the laurel tree. A piece of leaf swirled down. He paused for a while and caught it, saying calmly: this is great.

Sister Fang had always respected Ning Shaoqing from her heart and acted respectfully towards him, not daring to violate a little bit. Hearing Ning Shaoqing’s words, she gave up trying.

After all workers were summoned, the construction started soon.

The thin snow floated for two days until the sun shone. It happened to be slack season for farming, so all men who had strength came to give a hand.

At such a small place, there already gather thirty-four people coming to offer help. Under the instruction of Ning Shaoqing, some of them were laying the foundation, others went to chop wood, and still others were restoring the old house…

Every morning, after telling the workers this day’s plan, Ning Shaoqing would go to school as usual. Sometimes, he himself would also do some work and helped the villagers.

Of course, even if he moved normally, his demeanor and figure were well displayed in the movements as graceful as dancing.

Wang Tiansong was flexible-minded. No matter what kind of task Ning Shaoqing assigned to him, he would well perceive and finish.

Though he was young, he had been engaging in the repair of the ancestral hall since he was a little boy. Besides, he was the nephew of elder Wanger, so he was quite authoritative among villagers who, under his command, did everything orderly and never caused any trouble.

Every time Ning Shaoqing came back, he always looked down with a half-smile to check the construction, as if everything was expected.

Mo Qianxue had a feeling that even if he wasn’t there, everything was under his control, including what didn’t happen and what was going to happen.

Wang Tiansong always looked at Ning Shaoqing with admiring eyes, which even Mo Qianxue was a little unhappy. She didn’t expect that a spoiled young lord could have such controlling power.

To cook for more than thirty people exhausted and baffled Mo Qianxue a lot.

The villagers must be provided with meals wherever they worked. This was a customary rule and courtesy.

Sister Fang, sister Guihua and Chunyan made tofu, with no time left to help her. Luckily, aunt Yun and sister Liu, quick-doers, saved her.

The kitchen of sister Fang had been requisitioned by Mo Qianxue for making tofu, so a temporary shed was built as the kitchen.

The main yard wasn’t demolished, but it needed to be refurbished and painted. The major purpose of the restoring was to enlarge the original yard by extending at the back to add a bigger one.

The back courtyard was twice as large as the front yard. In the future, they would be living at the back courtyard. After the reorganization, the vision became brighter and broader. One half was the original courtyard and the other half workshop.

Certainly the workshop was used for tofu-making. The former courtyard would mainly be guest rooms and warehouses.

The vegetable plot was planned by Ning Shaoqing to become a bluestone. Fortunately, the cabbage had grown out. Though not very big, they were edible now. Mo Qianxue felt a bit reluctant to eat but they worth Mo Qianxue’s efforts.

In fact, the tofu workshop had been in her plan. In the future, she would not only make tofu, but also develop other businesses of soy products, such as dry tofu, thin tofu pancake, vegetarian chicken and so on. Although she didn’t know how to make them yet, she had eaten a lot in modern times.

After a little pondering and several times’ try with sister Fang, she could make those now.

However, the place was too small, and she didn’t have enough people to achieve mass production.

Mo Qianxue always stewed tofu with a few bones and potatoes and steamed some corn buns. Aunt Yun and sister Liu fried some vegetables. Then the meal was finished.

For people living downtown, these were not delicious food, but for countryside labors, these were the best combination.

It was winter. Although it didn’t snow, the wind was bitterly bone-penetratingly cold. The bone soup would warm up the workers’ body, and after eating some dishes and corn buns satisfactorily, they would be full.

In modern rural areas, to build a three-floor house would generally take three or four months, but in ancient time, things were different. What they were building was a one-floor one with wood as main material and less complicated procedures.

They had enough labors, so the foundation finished soon.

The wood was ready-made, and stones and mud were everywhere. Heaven also supported her to make it sunny for many days in a row. In less than a couple of days, the ceiling would be completed.

*

This day was a day worth celebration. Today the ceiling of Ning family’s new big house was going to complete.

On the continent of Tianqi Dynasty, this final step of a new house was a big event, be it a small or big one and no matter the owner was rich or poor, there would be people coming to warm up the house and sending congratulations.

There would be red elements hanging, couplets pasted, fireworks setting off, and door gods invited. Also, the owner should steam buns and throw sugars of peace.

Today, Ning Shaoqing took a day off, staying at home to write couplet and draw pictures of door gods.

Mo Qianxue went downtown to buy firecrackers and sugars.

Sister Fang and aunt Yun steamed buns and boiled auspicious red eggs.

……

The winner sun warmly paved the village which was in joy.

At this moment, outside the Wang village came two strangers.

One person wore greyish clothes, a small cap. He was old and looked mean.

The other was a young man but glanced around like a thief. The two people didn’t have to find the direction and walked right to the Ning house.