Chapter 54： grow small

Chapter 54: Growing up

Two days later, the three Jiang brothers returned from hunting in Nanshan, carrying baskets full of pheasants and hares.

Jiang Sanlang also carried a fat roe deer on his shoulders, which attracted many villagers to come and watch.

At this time, a thin man timidly walked up to Jiang Sanlang and asked in a low voice: "Sanlang, do you still need a furniture builder at home?"

When Jiang Sanlang saw that it was Wang Ke who was his friend, he suddenly remembered that Sun Li was taking people to his house to collect taxes and grain the day before yesterday, and subconsciously nodded: "Yes."

Wang Ke looked happy and asked cautiously: "Sanlang, look at me... I can also make carpenters. I made the doors and windows of your house. How about I make the furniture for your house?"

Jiang Sanlang pondered for a moment and nodded: "Okay."

 His own furniture needs to be built anyway, so the wood has been purchased and piled in the new brick house.

Wang Ke became so happy that he almost knelt down in front of Jiang Sanlang.

“Then I can start work tomorrow, is that possible?”

Jiang Sanlang patted Wang Ke on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Okay, but the salary I pay is not high."

Inviting a carpenter to make furniture at home will inevitably provide him with two meals a day, so there is no need to guess what Wang Ke is thinking, Jiang Sanlang also knows.

However, he also wanted to help this young boy, so he readily agreed.

"It's okay, it's okay." Wang Ke waved his hands repeatedly and scratched his head in embarrassment, "Just pay me the wages as you see fit."

Early the next morning, Wang Ke went to Nanshan with his carpenter's box and his two sons as helpers.

The eldest son, Wang Dashan, is thirteen this year. He is as dark and skinny as him, and he knows how to measure and peel wood. The second son, Wang Xiaoshui, is nine years old. He can run errands and deliver things to his father, and he can also polish things.

Jiang Sanlang didn't hesitate and told Wang Ke what furniture he needed and what size it was.

“The kitchen needs a cupboard, a grain cabinet, a small dining table, six benches, and, yes, a pair of buckets.”

“The main room requires a altar table, a large square table, four chairs, and six high stools.”

“In the east room, build a dressing table, two suitcases, a clothes rack, and a wooden bed.”

“The West Room requires a wooden bed, a desk, two chairs, two suitcases, a bookshelf, and a dressing table.”

“That’s all for now.” Jiang Sanlang finished speaking in one breath and saw Wang Ke holding a piece of paper and drawing a picture.

 He ​​stretched out his head and took a look, good guy, he had drawn everything he said on the paper with charcoal.

Wang Ke pointed to the flat drawings of each room on the piece of paper and said, "I have drawn all the furniture in each room. Do you think it's right?"

 Jiang Sanlang wiped his chin and nodded: "Yes, that's it. You just need to decide the size."

Wang Ke chuckled and said, "Don't worry, Sanlang, I will definitely satisfy you."

These pieces of furniture were enough to last him from winter to spring, and provide enough food for himself and his two sons. When spring comes, Saburo will pay him another salary. No matter how much it is, his family can survive, alas.

Since then, Wang Ke and his two sons moved into a new house in Nanshan. They worked hard every day and made sure that every piece of furniture was made exquisite and smooth.

Jiang Cheng and Jiang Quan had company now. In addition to making two meals a day, they spent the rest of the time with Wang Xiaoshui hunting birds and rabbits in Nanshan, and beating teeth for a few people as a sacrifice.

 Sometimes Jiang Sanlang would go around and bring them some food and vegetables.

On this day, Yingbao rode Youyou and went to Nanshan with her father.

Nanshan Mountain seems not far away, but the path up there is winding and takes more than two or three miles.

Crossed a small stream and finally went up the mountain.

This is not actually a mountain, just a high slope.

There are clusters of wild bamboo forests on the slopes, as well as acres of fields.

Because the soil quality of the fields is not good, wheat cannot be grown, so the villagers can only plant rice millet. At this time, the rice millet has been harvested, leaving only the soil covered with ice and snow. The houses of the three Jiang brothers were built in their own Yongye field, covering a large area and surrounded by low-grade fields they bought.

Yingbao was taking stock of the fruit saplings in the cave while sitting on Youyou's back and looking around.

Three large blue brick and tile houses built side by side, with courtyard walls as high as one person and covered with blue tiles, which are neat and beautiful.

The yard is very big, more than three times larger than before. You can actually run horses in it.

There is a five-foot-wide verandah with wooden columns under the front eaves of the three main rooms, and two kitchen rooms with earthen walls and tile roofs are built in front of the main room.

On the west side of the yard, a chicken shed, a deer shed, and a long bamboo shed were built, which almost occupies the entire west courtyard wall.

Jiang Quan poked his head out of the kitchen and saw his third uncle carrying a load and his little cousin riding a deer, and immediately ran out.

“Third uncle, why did you bring Ying Bao?”

Jiang Sanlang carried a load of grain and vegetables into the kitchen and said, "Bring your cousin here to see the new home."

Yingbao glanced at her second cousin: "Let me see if you are lazy."

Jiang Quan laughed loudly, lifted his little cousin off the back of the deer, and led her into the house. "It's just a coincidence that you're here today. My eldest brother and I have just caught a hare and it's in the stew pot."

There were sawdust all over the hall. A thin, dark man was sitting on the ground, planing wood. Two young boys were helping to clean up the planed wood.

Ying Bao recognized this man at a glance as the man who died on the mountain in his previous life.

Apparently, the father gave the man carpentry work, so he did not go to the mountains to chop wood during the snowy weather, nor did he die in the mountains.

Yingbao suddenly felt brighter and ran around the two rooms.

The room is very spacious, and the windows are also large. The carved sash windows can be pushed outwards, allowing the winter sunlight to shine in directly.

There is a kang built near the window, and the remaining space is more than enough for a small bed and a table.

Jiang Sanlang also followed and looked around: "Bao'er, you will still live in the West House from now on. When your brother grows up, dad will build a new house for them to live in."

"Yeah." Yingbao touched the new kang happily, then looked at the desk and dressing table that had been laid, and smiled.

She is about to live in a new house. When the time comes, she will plant various fruit trees in front of and behind her house. They will be available all year round. She can pick whatever she wants to eat, and if she can’t finish it, she can transport it to the town for sale.

She also wants to plant a lot of cotton in the surrounding fields, and put light and soft cotton batting in the cotton-padded jackets of everyone in the family. This kind of cotton should also be used for bedding, which is warm and non-irritating.

“Yingbao, my second brother will take you to cover the birds.” Jiang Quan stood outside the window, holding a bamboo plaque in one hand and a bundle of fine hemp ropes in the other.

“I want to go see the water pool.” Yingbao didn’t want to catch birds. She wanted to inspect the surrounding environment and plan planting locations for her fruit trees and cotton.

"What are you doing? Dinner will be served soon," said the cousin, Jiang Cheng.

It is now noon, and Jiang Cheng has steamed several trays of steamed buns, waiting for the rabbit meat in the pot to be cooked.

"Eat, eat." As soon as Jiang Quan heard that dinner was about to be served, he immediately dropped the bamboo plaque in his hand and ran to the kitchen to set the table.

Today Jiang Sanlang not only brought rice, but also several kohlrabi and a can of pickled cabbage for his nephews and Wang Ke and his son to eat.

There are no fresh vegetables in winter, and most farmers eat pickled vegetables.

Jiang Cheng shredded the kohlrabi and filled a bowl, cut some pickled cabbage, and took a pot of boiled rabbit out of the pot and served it to the table.

There is also a basket of steamed black-faced steamed buns, which are bigger than an adult's fist. They are divided into three or four for each person.

Because Jiang Sanlang was present today, Wang Ke and his two sons were a little nervous sitting at the table, and they were too embarrassed to hold out their chopsticks to pick up food.

Jiang Sanlang didn't say much. He just asked them to eat more and be full without delaying their work.

(End of this chapter)