Two tables were set for dinner, and Xiao Pei specially made a large amount of dried vegetables, roasted pork belly, and stewed chicken with mushrooms. The rice was mixed with grains. In the countryside, people live very frugally, and if there is meat, it is rich, and there are very few people like the Xiao family who have meat to eat almost every day. When everyone saw the two large pots of meat on each table, they all praised each other, feasted happily, and ate to their heart's content.

After the meal, the craftsmen went home, and two masons simply built a simple shed and spent the night on the construction site because they were far away from home, and by the way, they guarded the materials for building the house with Uncle Zhou Qi.

Xiao Yu said that he would give the two of them an extra five salaries per night. When Xiao Pei made snacks for Xiao Yucheng, who was reading at night, he also prepared some more and sent them over.

The next morning, before dawn, Xiao Yu and Xiao Yucheng got up early to practice martial arts and went out to fetch water, and unexpectedly saw someone moving their hands and feet on the floor of the house, and then quickly looked at the distant mountains there. Xiao Yu recognized him as a craftsman with a little weak legs and feet, called Yan Zhong, and had something to do with Hao Jun, so he greeted him with a smile.

"Uncle Zhongzao."

Yan Zhong bowed his head and asked, "Shaodong, are you going to fetch water?" ”

The two of them laughed.

Yan Zhong was still there when he came back from carrying water, and when he saw the two of them, he nodded in greeting, with a look of approval on his face, and said, "The two young masters practice martial arts?" ”

Xiao Yu was surprised and said: "Uncle Zhong has good eyesight, and the two of us practice some fists and feet on weekdays." ”

Because the Xiao family sisters and brothers and the seventh uncle's family are now eating together, they will eat first after finishing their early morning work and preparing breakfast, although the craftsman arrived early, the meal was later than a few people.

Xiao Yu let Yan Zhong into the courtyard to have breakfast together.

Yan Zhong was resigning, and Uncle Zhou Qi also came over. In the past two days, Uncle Zhou Qi has been with the craftsman and is already familiar with it. Yan Zhong and Hao Jun were old acquaintances, so they couldn't help but feel closer, so they pulled them in immediately.

"Come with me early in the morning." Uncle Zhou Qi said with a smile.

Soon the foundation stone of the house was laid, followed by the pillars and beams.

At this time, the house is placed on the beams of the columns, and the roof purlins are erected before the walls are built, and the walls only have the role of blocking and blocking, and do not rely on them to support the load-bearing of the house. In such a house, even if the brick walls are all down, the roof will not collapse.

This upper beam is extremely important, and it is natural to choose an auspicious day for the zodiac. Fortunately, the person who looked at the day was also thoughtful, in addition to breaking ground, there were also a few auspicious days for the pillars and beams and tiles to be covered.

As soon as Xiao Yu and the others discussed, they chose the day three days later, that is, the twenty-fifth day of September.

In the past few days, it has been empty, so it is natural to be busy with farming in the fields. Now is the time for rice to raise flowers and fill grain, and we must seize the time to divert water for irrigation and fertilization in order to have a good harvest.

As soon as the morning dawned, Xiao Yu and Xiao Pei changed into caftan brown for working in the fields, and prepared to go down to the field to see the situation. Uncle Zhou's seedlings were not fertilized, and he had to finish his own work to be able to pass the Xiao family's helper. Xiao Yu went out and saw someone on the floor of the house sorting out and carrying the wood, bricks and stones on the ground, it was Yan Zhong.

In the past three days, since the construction site has been temporarily idle, and the materials and other things are also watched by Uncle Zhou Qi, Yan Zhong and the other mason named Liu Tietou have no wages even if they live in the shed. Therefore, Liu Tietou also went home, and the craftsmen were left with Yan Zhong and Uncle Zhou Qi still keeping vigil on the house.

Yan Zhong was tall, with a square and resolute face, and the beard on his chin was a little gray, and although he was nearly fifty years old, he still looked energetic and energetic. Although his legs and feet were inconvenient, he reached out and hugged him, and lifted the stout pillar lightly and put it on his shoulder, and then limped to the side to put it away.

It's so easy, I'm afraid Hao Jun can't reach it.

Xiao Yu paid attention before, so he deliberately asked Hao Jun for clarification.

This Yan Zhong had been a general in the army stationed in Vietnam, but later because of an arrow wound in his leg and foot, coupled with his age, the war in the south was over, so he was disarmed and returned to the field, and a lot of silver money was also given above, but he politely refused, went home to regain the mason craftsmanship inherited from his ancestors, and built houses for others to make a living. After Yan Zhong unloaded his armor and returned to his hometown, General Ling also visited him several times.

Xiao Yu listened to Hao Jun's words like this, and was half-convinced, but now that he saw this, he thought it was true, and he couldn't help but think about it.

Three busy days is just a snap of a finger.

The pillars and beams used in today's houses are all jointed by mortise and tenon joints, and they can be firmly and tightly bonded without the need for nails, because their components are somewhat complicated in Xiao Yu's opinion, but they become simple in the hands of carpenters. It's no wonder that the craftsmanship of the craftsmen is not passed on.

The wood used for the beams and columns is also particular, because the beams pass through the holes at the top of the columns, so the beams should be selected to be dry and the columns should be slightly moistened, so as to trap them.

The carpenter measured the beams and columns prepared by the Xiao family again, and said to Xiao Yucheng: "Young owner, you can stand the columns." ”

Xiao Yucheng still burned incense and candles and paper to worship heaven and earth.

The craftsmen shouted in unison, lifted the tall pillars, and erected the middle one first, and then erected the rest of the pillars one by one on the capstone.

In the afternoon, it is the upper beam. This is the most important procedure for building a house, and the ceremony of putting up the beams in the local area is very complicated, and guests are invited to watch the ceremony. Yesterday, it took Xiao Pei and Aunt Qi more than half a day to prepare those things needed for the Qianmi, red line, spirit runes, and so on. There are so many of them that Xiao Yu is amazed.

Now Xiao Yu watched Xiao Yucheng, under the guidance of Uncle Zhou Qi's wife and craftsmen, first take the five-color tribute to the gods, and then recite Shangliang Wen to pray for a stable foundation and wish the house a safe and long time. Then tie red silk threads and paste spiritual talismans on top of the beams wrapped in red silk.

In the meantime, the tile carpenter who selected the upper beam never stopped saying good words, and the poems were beautiful and catchy.

After the girder was erected, Xiao Yucheng put the grains sent by his seventh aunt, Hao Jun, Qin Guangyu and other relatives and friends on the beam, and the craftsman above wrapped the grains and fruits in red cloth and threw them back into the basket that Xiao Yucheng raised.

When the main beam is knocked into the tenon, it is the most festive throwing beam. While talking auspicious words, the craftsman threw the red dates, longan, candy, steamed buns, and copper coins that the Xiao family had already prepared from the beam to the village children and villagers who came to watch.

Those children like this kind of excitement the most, both fun and delicious, have been waiting for a long time, see the big dustpan of fruits, steamed buns, pastries and copper coins, rushed up. These items thrown on the beam are auspicious, not to mention that they are all good things, and the village women below also stepped forward to scramble, and they were jubilant.

The gift of Shangliang was finally completed, and everyone congratulated Xiao Yucheng and a few others.

Xiao Pei smiled and distributed the red envelopes sealed yesterday to the craftsmen, and when everyone opened them and saw the copper coins in them, they were even more smiling, and the good words continued.

At this time, it was almost evening, Xiao Pei and Aunt Qi, with the assistance of a few good women in the village, set up a sumptuous banquet, which was placed in the courtyard, and the guests and hosts were seated, and there was continuous laughter and laughter for a while.

The next day, the wall was built on the cornerstone according to the drawings.