Zeng Ruixiang came in and said that he had thought about the house, and planned to build a wooden house first, which didn't cost much, and the money earned by the children was used to build a large wall, so that the family would have a large yard of nearly seven acres of land, and it would cost a little labor to build the yard with adobe bricks, and seven taels of silver would be enough. He has been thinking about this for the past few days, if he builds half of the house first, it is not safe for Shen to live with a group of children, he is often not at home, and there is no one nearby, not to mention that petty theft is scary, even on the mountain, there are always weasels and foxes coming down to find chickens to eat, and it is much safer to have a higher courtyard wall.

Shen Shi listened and said: "Actually, I was also thinking about this, when I went back to my mother's house that day, my mother also told me this, I was afraid that you would not agree, how did I tell you?" After all, we are not a big family, and it is too eye-catching to build such a big yard. I didn't expect you to want to go too, it's so good, now the stone in my heart has finally landed. ”

When Ziqing heard about building the courtyard wall, she was really happy, and she was worried that it was not safe to plant this watermelon outside, so she had long wanted to remind the Shen family to build the courtyard wall, but she didn't know how to speak. Now it's okay, you can really make a fortune behind closed doors.

Zeng Ruixiang listened and said: "Then tomorrow if the weather is fine, I will find someone, now is not the season of rammed earth bricks, the tide is not easy to do, there are many people in the village who have inventory, if you want to buy or borrow, it is estimated that the salary is not much different from the salary, anyway, our family does not have the labor to ram it by itself, what do you say?" ”

"Do the math yourself, anyway, the salary for hiring a male coolie is thirty wen a day, and our family can't take care of the food, it is estimated that it will cost forty wen a day, how much does the adobe of such a large courtyard wall cost, and how much does it cost, you find someone who understands and asks."

Zeng Ruixiang said that he would discuss with the old man tomorrow, and then go to the village to find someone, and then said that such a large yard should plant something, Shen said that it happened that Ziqing bought watermelon seeds, and planned to try it. These words spoke to Ziqing's heart.

There was nothing to say all night, the second day of the seventh day, it was still a rainy day, and it was not sunny until the tenth day of the first month, during which Zeng Ruixiang kept going out to contact various matters, decided to buy adobe bricks, and then hired ten people to build the courtyard wall, and found a few of his cousins to help build a wooden house, Zeng Ruixiang said that he wanted to move in after the Lantern Festival, he was so relieved to go to the county seat.

Therefore, as soon as the sun came out on the morning of the tenth day of the lunar month, Ruixiang went out to let people send all the adobe bricks, bask in the sun for half a day, and prepare to start digging the foundation of the courtyard wall in the afternoon.

When Zixi went to bed in the afternoon, Ziqing told Zishou to watch it, and when he woke up, he went to call Shen to come over. Then Ziqing and Zifu Zilu went out to the construction site together, and when they arrived at the construction site, Ziqing found that there were still a lot of big stones, and I don't know whether to buy or pick them up, it turned out that the adobe bricks had not been fired at high temperatures, and they would become soft after being soaked in water for a long time, and then collapse, so the foundation must be made of stones or green bricks. Ziqing looked at this speed, and the foundation could be dug in two days, but it had just rained, the soil was very loose, and the foundation of the courtyard wall did not need to be deep.

Zeng Ruixiang saw that the three brothers and sisters were coming, so he asked them to pick up the stones on the wasteland and pile them together, and they would burn the barren grass tomorrow. ”

"Big brother, you forgot, our family wants to raise chickens, and the chickens will walk around, and they will trample on all the vegetables in the vegetable field, what should I do?" Ziqing replied.

"yes, I didn't think of that. Then I'll find a hoe and dig first, and you two will pick up the stones. Zifu hurriedly left.

Maybe it's because of a momentum, the three people didn't shout bitterness, tired on the automatic rest, an afternoon passed unconsciously, the fruits of labor are also quite gratifying, this large pile of stones, Zeng Ruixiang said that the big one can also be used to build the foundation, the small one can pave the road, Zifu also piled the thorns together, Ruixiang listened to Zifu's thoughts, said that there is nothing to water, can live for a long time.

Everyone called it a day when it was dark, because they couldn't take care of the food, and the salary was set at forty yuan, and the villagers seemed to be more satisfied, so the effort was not ambiguous. Zeng Ruixiang felt that the speed was faster than expected, and he was very happy to come back.

When I returned to the room after dinner, the family had nothing to say, got up early, and slept until dawn.

The next day was sunny again, and the old man said yesterday that the rain was thorough, and it should be sunny for a few days. After settling down in the morning, the three of them went to the construction site again, and saw Zeng Ruiqing and Zeng Ruixiang and a few cousins were using the excavated soil to raise a flat ground, and tamped it, next to a pile of long planks and wooden flutes, ten people who dug the foundation yesterday, two of them were in the muddy water today, and the muddy water was mixed with some broken straw, they poured it into it with a white rice soup and stirred it, Zifu said that it was glutinous rice soup to increase the viscosity. Four people were moving stones and preparing to lay the foundations, while the remaining four were still digging the foundations.

The three brothers and sisters were not idle, and continued to do what they didn't finish yesterday. After being so busy for a few days, the wooden house was finally completed before the Lantern Festival, and the earthen stove was also laid inside, and the two stoves were vertically "L", one large and one small, and there was a pot at the vertical intersection, and the waste heat was used to boil hot water, which Ziqing had used in the countryside before. Zeng Ruixiang lit a fire and tried to burn it twice, baking the wetness of the soil. There is a lot of rain in the south, and the wooden roof is covered with tiles, Ziqing looked at the small wooden house in front of him, thinking that if the small bamboo building is like it, Ziqing has traveled to Yunnan, Guizhou, and has seen the local stilted bamboo building, and what beauties to rely on, it is interesting to live.

The courtyard wall is also roughly completed, one gate is missing, and the lobby uncle Zeng Ruile and Ziqing her father suggested that the courtyard wall should be smoothed with mud and straw, which looks smooth and looks better. So it was busy for two more days, and it was completely completed on the 17th, of which the Lantern Festival rested for one day. Zeng Ruixiang settled the wages for everyone and once again expressed his gratitude to the villagers for their help. Ziqing's cousin said that they didn't ask for wages for anything, and when they went home, they talked to the Shen family, and the Shen family said that each family bought something, and they couldn't accept such a big favor in vain.

After dinner, Shen began to pack up his things, saying that the old man had read the yellow calendar, and the next day eighteen everything was suitable, it was a good day, Zifu also cleaned up the books and pen and ink in his house, Xiao Xiushui came to find Ziqing, saying that it would be inconvenient to find Ziqing to play in the future, and the two of them could not go to wash clothes together, and their eyes were still red as they spoke.

"Aunt Shui, Ziqing didn't go far, it's not in the village, you can come to my house to play, my house has a big yard, if I come to the street, I will definitely look for you, it's very close." Ziqing hurriedly promised.

"It's pretty much the same, you see, I've fed you all the chickens these days, let me tell you, if the chickens lay eggs, you have to send a few to me first, and if you kill the chickens, you want me to eat, remember?"

"Remember, don't worry, I'll call you." Ziqing is happy, the child's heart is good, and it comes and goes quickly.