Chapter 656: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 656: A Disturbance (1)
The Wu family's house was built spaciously. Wu Shi had spent a few silver taels to buy three acres of land. One acre was used to build the house, while the remaining two acres were enclosed with blue bricks. Part of it was used for a vegetable garden and part for raising poultry and livestock. Following Mo Yan’s suggestion, they planned to plant rare fruit trees next spring, with the saplings also provided by Mo Yan.
To speed up the construction, Wu Shi hired many villagers for help. Given the clear and dry autumn weather, although the house was quite large, it was completed in just a month.
After the house was finished and furnished with basic necessities, the Wu family quickly moved out of the Mo household and into their new home.
The layout of the house was simple, consisting of six main rooms and six auxiliary rooms. Wu Shi’s plan was that if the two brothers, Tie Tou and Shi Tou, got along well after marriage, the whole family could live together. If they didn’t get along and needed to separate, they could build a wall in the middle, dividing the house equally to avoid future conflicts over property.
The twelve rooms and the one-person-high courtyard wall were all made of blue bricks, giving the house a square, grand appearance. Although it was smaller than Mo’s courtyard and lacked the refined elegance of Mo’s home, it was the best house in Liuyang Village, apart from Mo’s.
Building such a spacious house with good materials naturally cost a lot, and after furnishing it, most of the Wu family’s wealth was spent. However, they now had a place to call home, and Wu Shi was optimistic about the future. She even planned to send Shi Tou to a city school for early education, clearly hoping to raise a scholar.
To avoid arousing jealousy from Mo Hongshi, who might come to cause trouble, the Wu family consistently claimed that the money for building the house was borrowed from the Mo family and would be repaid in the future.
Despite this, villagers were still envious. Seeing the families close to Mo getting better, many hoped to catch Mo’s eye and improve their own fortunes. Some families with eligible daughters even began to inquire about Tie Tou, intending to form a marriage alliance with the Wu family.
Wu Shi thought two of the girls were quite good and asked Tie Tou’s opinion, but Tietou remained silent, shaking his head firmly.
Early the next morning, after a simple breakfast, Mo Yan, along with Xin’er, Li Xiu, and others, arrived at the Wu house with five sets of new bedding as a housewarming gift.
Wu Shi received the bedding and, feeling its softness, knew it was made from high-quality material. She couldn’t help but scold Mo Yan, “Child, I’m happy you could come to help. There’s no need for such an expensive gift. We have plenty of bedding already.”
Mo Yan smiled and said, “Today is Aunt Wu’s happy day. As your niece, I can’t come empty-handed. Besides, these materials were given to me by others; I’m just passing them along! If you don’t need them, they can be used for Da Ni’er’s dowry.”
Wu Shi understood this was just a polite excuse but accepted the gesture, giving Mo Yan a resigned but appreciative look.
After dividing the tasks, everyone got busy. Xin’er, Li Yan, and Tang Xin, the younger ones, washed the vegetables, while Mo Yan, Li Xiu, and Da Ni’er prepared them. The sounds of knives and chopping boards mixed with the water splashes, filling the previously quiet courtyard with bustling activity.
As the sun rose, women friendly with Wu Shi began arriving at the Mo household, ready to lend a hand. They found that the vegetables had already been washed and only some needed cutting. Feeling a bit awkward, they quickly took the knives from Mo Yan and her companions, urging them to rest.
(End of the chapter)
If you enjoy our translations and would like to support us, please consider contributing on Patreon or Ko-fi. Your support helps us continue bringing you great content!
►►CLICK HERE FOR LISTS OF CHAPTERS◄◄
No comments: