Chapter 33: The House Is Completed, Preparing to Move In

Passing by the butcher’s house, the butcher’s wife, sharp-eyed, spotted Jiang Li immediately and called out, "Lady, are you here to buy something? Come in, have a bowl of water, and stay a while."

Jiang Li declined with a smile. "Thank you, but I have a lot to do at home and need to get back. Let's do it another time."

The butcher’s wife quickly untied her apron and walked over to them. "I was just heading to Old Qian’s place at the front; I’ll walk with you."

As she approached, she asked with a grin, "We’ve dealt with each other so many times, but I still don’t know your surname."

"My surname is Jiang, my given name is Li."

"The surname Jiang—there don't seem to be many people with that name around here."

"I am Zhang, Zhang Yanxia," the butcher’s wife introduced herself.

Jiang Li smiled. "I am from out of town, a refugee. My husband’s family is local."

Zhang Yanxia looked a bit disappointed. It was true, just as her husband had said: Jiang Li was already married. She had been hoping to play matchmaker.

Noticing the change in Zhang Yanxia’s expression, Jiang Li pursed her lips and smiled faintly. "Lady Zhang, surely you didn't have a good candidate in mind and wanted to play matchmaker for me?"

Zhang Yanxia waved her hands dismissively, but then suddenly laughed and admitted it frankly. "You guessed it, Lady Jiang. I saw that you were young and assumed you weren't married. I have a cousin who is a very decent man, and I wanted to introduce you."

Jiang Li glanced at Zhao Qingzhu, chuckling, "Thank you for your kindness, Lady Zhang, but I’ve missed my chance."

Zhang Yanxia waved her hand again and looked at Zhao Qingzhu. "This young lady shouldn't be spoken for yet, right?"

Zhao Qingzhu was stunned for a moment.

Jiang Li laughed. "She isn't, but for this sister of mine, you’d have to ask her mother."

"That’s true. 'Parents' orders and the words of a matchmaker,' as they say."

No sooner had she finished speaking than a tall man darted out from a nearby alley.

Zhang Yanxia paused, feeling it was quite a coincidence. "Ah-Zheng, why are you here?"

The man addressed stopped in his tracks. "Sister-in-law, I'm buying something for my mother."

The man swept a glance at Jiang Li, his eyes lingering on Zhao Qingzhu for a second before he turned his head away.

Zhang Yanxia looked at Jiang Li and said, "This is the cousin I was telling you about, Sun Zheng."

Jiang Li nodded slightly. He looked decent enough, though his cold expression wasn't particularly endearing. The man immediately understood what Zhang Yanxia was doing; his face darkened, and he seemed somewhat displeased.

"My mother is waiting for these items." With that, he left.

Zhang Yanxia watched his retreating figure, hissed, and muttered, "It’s as if a ghost were chasing you."

After a little more idle chatter, they reached Zhang Yanxia’s destination, and she bid them farewell. Once she was out of earshot, Zhao Qingzhu asked quietly, "How are you so familiar with the butcher’s wife?"

"Did you forget what I told you? I’ve been selling the game I catch."

Zhao Qingzhu’s eyes widened in shock. "You caught a wild boar?"

Jiang Li nodded.

Zhao Qingzhu grabbed Jiang Li’s arm, her eyes filled with admiration. "Ah-Li, you are just too incredible."

Jiang Li held her steady, laughing, "Gently, gently! I’m carrying the reed mats, and you’re carrying my jars!"

Zhao Qingzhu giggled and pulled her hand back. "I’m just too excited. How did you hunt a wild boar?"

"Just the same way I hunt anything else."

"…You’re brushing me off."

"I’m serious."

Jiang Li accompanied her as they ambled along. By the time they reached the village entrance, the sun had already set. From a distance, she could see the people helping with the house construction still busy at work. She had only been gone for a day, yet the main walls were already complete. Once the interior partition walls were laid with mud bricks, the roof beams set, and the reed mats and thatch covered, the new house would be finished. Jiang Li felt wonderful.

When she arrived home, she happened to run into Zhao Jiaxiu and Xue Chengwen, who were delivering the doors and windows.

"Little Man’s mother, the doors and windows are all finished. We’ve brought them over for you."

Jiang Li was surprised. "So fast? Thank you for the trouble."

There were four windows in total, two main doors, and six smaller interior doors. Usually, people only used five—the main doors for three rooms, a partition door, and a gate for the courtyard, which most people made themselves out of bamboo. That would typically cost twenty-six copper coins.

Jiang Li had requested an extra courtyard gate, doors for the kitchen and bathroom, and an additional window. Estimating the average cost, she took out fourteen extra coins, along with a wooden steamer that she was very pleased with. She tied a total of forty-five copper coins with straw and handed the string to Zhao Jiaxiu.

Looking at the string of coins, Xue Chengwen frowned slightly. Zhao Jiaxiu was perplexed and didn't reach out to take them.

"Why so many? Making doors and windows for people in the village usually only costs twenty-six."

Jiang Li pulled her hand forward and placed the money into it. "Normally, when people build new houses, you only make five doors. You made eight for me; how could I pay you the same price? Plus, there’s the wooden steamer."

Zhao Jiaxiu smiled and accepted the money. "Then I won't stand on ceremony with you."

"We also wove some winnowing baskets, strainers, and a long bamboo mat for drying things; we’ll bring them over in a bit."

"Oh, thank you so much."

Zhao Jiaxiu smiled. "Don't be so polite."

On the way back, Zhao Jiaxiu couldn't stop grinning. Seeing Xue Chengwen’s furrowed brow, she felt a bit annoyed. "What are you worrying about?"

Xue Chengwen looked back at her. "Tell me, where did this Jiang woman get so much money? I’ve heard that the people helping her build the house have been eating very well."

"By the time this house is finished, she’ll have spent at least four or five hundred coins, won't she?"

Zhao Jiaxiu was also puzzled, but as long as Jiang Li paid them for the doors and windows, she didn't care how or where Jiang Li made her money. "Why do you care where she gets her money? Doesn't she go hunting often? She probably sells her game."

"How many pheasants and hares would she have to hunt to make that much money?"

Zhao Jiaxiu scoffed. "What if she killed a wild boar? That would fetch plenty."

"A wild boar? You really dare to dream. Two grown men might not even be able to pin down a wild boar. Could a woman like her hunt one in the mountains?"

Zhao Jiaxiu was displeased by her husband’s words and glared at him. "Don't forget about the time your second brother was beaten up. Is this Jiang woman just an ordinary woman? You underestimate people too much!"

Seeing his wife was angry, Xue Chengwen stopped arguing. "I was just worried about Little Man and A-Ning, not looking down on her."

The couple bickered as they walked, and soon they returned to deliver the baskets. Xue Chengwen’s craftsmanship was excellent; there wasn't a single splinter to be found. Jiang Li thought about the ones she had tried to weave herself and compared them—the difference was like night and day. It was true what they said: there is a specialty for every trade.

"Your craftsmanship is truly wonderful. I tried to weave a couple myself a few days ago to make do, but they were full of splinters. Look, my hands were pricked many times."

Zhao Jiaxiu looked at her hands. They were long and slender with distinct knuckles, and her wrists were fair and delicate—one could still catch a glimpse of a life of ease she might have once led. But now, these were clearly the hands of someone who worked hard.

"If you ever need any small tools in the future, just tell me, and we’ll make them for you."

Jiang Li was beautiful. When she first arrived in the village, she looked frail and delicate, her large eyes evoking sympathy. After Xue Chengju died, Xue Chengxiang had harbored evil intentions. The world always had many unfounded speculations about beautiful women. However, after several interactions, Jiang Li had always been very measured in her speech. Even though the items were made by Xue Chengwen, Jiang Li always included her in the conversation. When Xue Chengwen took it upon himself to make them two water-carrying buckets, Jiang Li gave the payment directly to her. She liked people who had that sense of propriety.

Jiang Li thanked her with a smile.

It was late, and smoke was rising from every household in the village. Zhao Jiaxiu called out to Xue Xiaoduo to go home and prepare dinner. Xue Xiaoduo waved at A-Ning and said to Jiang Li, "Big Aunt, come over to our house to play tonight."

Jiang Li smiled. "Alright, and you come over to play with A-Ning whenever you're free."

"Okay!" The little girl skipped away, holding Zhao Jiaxiu’s hand.

Jiang Li took A-Ning to the bean field to dig up some wild garlic. For dinner, they would have stir-fried pork liver with wild garlic and wild peppercorns. For the vegetable dish, she made a pickled vegetable stir-fry and a boiled wild green soup. As the soup cooked, Zhao Qingzhu asked, "Are you making that wild green soup again?"

Jiang Li raised an eyebrow slightly. "Is it good?"

Zhao Qingzhu laughed. "Don't even ask. I tried to make it at home once, but it didn't taste the same as yours. Let me tell you, everyone really likes this dish of yours."

Jiang Li was skeptical. After all, it was a large pot of wild greens, and she didn't have many eggs to add—just enough for flavor. It lacked the rich texture of a proper egg custard soup. But at dinner, she noticed everyone was ladling the wild green soup over their rice, eating ravenously. In the end, not a single drop of the soup remained. Seeing that everyone enjoyed the simple meal of wild greens and eggs, she was genuinely happy.

After dinner, as night began to fall, everyone dispersed. Jiang Li went to check the wooden doors that Xue Chengwen and Zhao Jiaxiu had brought. They were made of pure wood, the panels sanded smooth, and the latches fit perfectly. At that moment, she realized how cheap manual labor was; if this were the modern world, the labor costs alone for such work would be astronomical.

She also checked the windows. At this time, windows were essentially like smaller doors—two symmetrical panels that could be opened for ventilation during the day and closed at night to shut out the world. Jiang Li had originally wanted the kind covered in oil paper, but that wasn't cheap either. These windows were fine, aside from the fact that it was dark inside when they were closed.

Xue Chengwen’s carpentry skills were excellent, and she was very satisfied with the doors and windows. She thought about asking him to make a set of tables and chairs, along with three beds. Since the house would be finished soon, she didn't want to delay, so she took A-Ning and headed over to the Old Xue family’s place.

The original courtyard wall had been torn down, leaving an empty plot of land. Xue Chengwen was still working in front of the house, with Zhao Jiaxiu helping nearby. Xue Xiaoduo was the first to spot Jiang Li and Xue Ning, running over with a grin. "Big Aunt!"

Jiang Li smiled and patted her head. Zhao Jiaxiu turned to see Jiang Li and brought out a chair for her. After sitting down, Jiang Li watched them working on a bench.

"I just remembered after dinner that I wanted to ask you to make me a set of tables and chairs. A square table, about this size." She gestured with her hands. Xue Chengwen took a look, and Zhao Jiaxiu smiled. "Can do."

"And beds. Is it time-consuming to make beds?"

Xue Chengwen replied, "It's alright, not too time-consuming."

Jiang Li nodded. "Then I’d like to have three beds made."

Zhao Jiaxiu wanted to ask if it was really necessary to have so many, but she remembered that Jiang Li’s house had three rooms. She had seen the layout and knew there were three sleeping quarters, so naturally, she would need beds. She kept her thoughts to herself.