It rained steadily through the night. Fortunately, Shi Wuxiang didn’t need to go into town today—otherwise, he would have had to brave the rain.
With everyone at home, Yuan Zhao couldn’t wait to calculate how much they had earned recently. Coincidentally, Shi Wuxiang had also just received his six-tael monthly pay the day before, so they decided to count everything together.
The two money boxes had been filling up every day, and Yuan Zhao had already started making a third wooden box.
All the copper coins had been counted and strung together. Each day’s capital had already been set aside beforehand, so what remained were their actual earnings.
“Auntie, I’ve got ten strings here, five hundred coins each—that’s five taels of silver.”
“Auntie, auntie! I’ve got three guan, plus five strings of five hundred!”
“I’ve got five sets of five hundred!”
Yuan Zhao carefully added everything up. “That makes thirteen taels—and that’s just the strung coins, not including last night’s. A Xiang, how much did you make last night?”
Shi Wuxiang silently set down two boxes. “Three thousand one hundred fifty-eight coins.”
During this time, Yuan Zhao had been working nonstop between the market and the academy, even making wraps on the road. He had earned every bit of this money.
Altogether, it came to over sixteen taels—and that didn’t even include Shi Wuxiang’s six-tael monthly wage!
“Does this mean we can start looking for craftsmen to build a house?” Yuan Zhao asked eagerly. This had been their plan all along—once they had enough money, they would build a house first.
“Really?!”
“Wow! That’s great! I want a desk too!”
Yuan Yuan stayed quiet. He had never had a room of his own before and didn’t know what to ask for—but this time… he probably would.
Shi Wuxiang nodded. “A Zhao has already found out where the craftsmen live. I’ll go talk to them, and we can start building.”
“Wait, aren’t we asking villagers to help?” Madam Shi asked, surprised. In the village, people usually helped one another—it was how they got by.
“If we’re building, we’ll build it properly,” Shi Wuxiang said. “We should hire professional craftsmen. If we need more hands, we can ask the villagers then.”
Though he said that, he knew those construction teams usually came fully staffed.
Better to owe fewer favors when possible.
Hearing this, Madam Shi didn’t argue further.
Shi Wuxiang had originally thought about drawing up a blueprint, but after reconsidering, he realized modern expertise might not match local experience. It was better to listen to the craftsmen.
However, for buying tiles, he planned to ask the village chief. After all, only a few households in Qingluan Village had brick houses, and the village chief’s family was the most familiar with the process.
With that in mind, Shi Wuxiang didn’t want to wait any longer. He took Yuan Zhao and headed out.
The village chief’s family was sitting under the eaves chatting when they arrived. Seeing them, they quickly invited them inside.
“It’s raining—what brings you here? Is something wrong?” the village chief asked with concern.
“We wanted to ask if you know any brickmakers,” Shi Wuxiang said. “We’re planning to buy bricks and tiles to build a house. A group of craftsmen in town mentioned that buying materials ourselves first could save money.”
The village chief nodded in understanding. “I do know someone. They’re in town too. Go to the antique shop and find my eldest son—he’ll take you to them. He handled our bricks and tiles before. With a recommendation, you should get a better price.”
Shi Wuxiang immediately expressed his thanks. “Thank you, Uncle Niu.”
After hesitating for a moment, the village chief still asked, “From what you’re saying, it sounds like you don’t plan to ask people from the village to help build the house?”
“That’s right. The craftsmen in town will get straight to work as long as they’re paid—it’s much more convenient. If we end up short-handed, I can always ask people from the village to help then, and I’ll pay them accordingly,” Shi Wuxiang said. There was another reason he didn’t want to involve the villagers: most “help” came without pay—but free was often the most expensive of all.
If they accepted such a favor once, it might come back later as leverage.
He would rather be selfish than deal with that.
The village chief frowned slightly. “We’re all neighbors—helping out wouldn’t cost you anything! But this is your family’s matter. Do as you see fit. If you need more hands later, we’ll talk then.”
“Thank you, Village Chief,” Shi Wuxiang replied.
“Why so polite all the time?” the chief waved him off. “I’ve heard your life’s been going well lately. They say Zhao-ge has good business in town. Seeing you buy a cow and now preparing to build a house—it puts my mind at ease. Back in the day, your father and I ran around together bare-bottomed as kids. Seeing you doing well… he can rest in peace too.”
Shi Wuxiang smiled faintly. “Thank you for thinking of us.”
The village chief waved his hand casually. “Alright, that’s enough talk. Head back. Your health isn’t great—don’t be wandering around in the rain.”
“Alright, Uncle, Auntie, take care. We’ll head back now.”
Shi Wuxiang and Yuan Zhao left under an umbrella. Yuan Zhao hadn’t said a word the entire time, and couldn’t help asking, “I didn’t even speak—why did you still make me come along?”
Shi Wuxiang glanced down at him and said, almost irritatingly, “When I’m running around in the rain, I don’t want to see you lounging comfortably.”
What kind of logic was that?
Yuan Zhao glared at him in annoyance, but quickly comforted himself—there were plenty of people at home who could have taken it easy, yet Shi Wuxiang had chosen to bring only him. That had to mean he wanted his company. It had to be that!
“A Xiang, how many rooms are we building?” Yuan Zhao asked, sneaking a quick glance at him, pretending it was just a casual question.
“Five or six rooms. We’ll also move the kitchen indoors—cooking outside in winter is too cold, indoors will be warmer,” Shi Wuxiang said. “We’ll have them build heated walls and a kang bed, so it’ll be warm to sleep in during winter.”
Yuan Zhao suddenly felt his throat go dry.
So he had already planned it all… five or six rooms meant everyone would have their own. No more squeezing together with him.
He didn’t say another word all the way home. He didn’t even know what to say. He was always misled by those moments of closeness, but when he thought about it carefully, the other person had never meant anything by them.
He was the one overthinking.
Kind of ridiculous.
“I’m going to lie down for a bit,” Yuan Zhao said quietly.
“Cover yourself with a blanket. If you fall asleep in this weather, you’ll get cold,” Shi Wuxiang reminded him. “Mosquitoes will come in and bite you too.”
Yuan Zhao pouted, muttering, “Then let them bite me to death…”
Shi Wuxiang frowned, unable to understand what kind of mood he had suddenly fallen into. Could it be… a rebellious phase?
Fifteen years old—right about that age.
Better not provoke him. If he really threw a tantrum, it could get troublesome.
Under the covers, Yuan Zhao secretly wiped away his tears. After a short nap, he managed to comfort himself again. There was nothing he could do—nothing he should do. He had to accept it.
Shi Wuxiang later found Niu Dasen at the antique shop in town. As the shopkeeper, Niu Dasen could occasionally step away, so he took Shi Wuxiang to meet a brick-and-tile craftsman. They ordered sturdy materials, with delivery promised to the village.
Since Yuan Zhao needed to keep running his stall, the task of finding craftsmen fell to Shi Qingyue. Everyone had their roles, and things were quickly settled.
The Shi family was building a new house.
Naturally, the whole village knew. Cartloads of bricks and tiles were delivered one after another, and craftsmen came and went from the house.
Their current home stood on the old Shi family site. If they tore it down and rebuilt, they would need a temporary place to stay. But building elsewhere would require approval from the village chief—and extra cost.
“There’s an abandoned house in the village,” the chief suggested. “You can clean it up and stay there. No need to take up new land.”
“Thank you, Uncle Niu.” Shi Wuxiang didn’t dwell on it. He had only taken a day off to help at home—he still needed to work in town and couldn’t keep taking leave.
So in that one day, he made sure to settle everything with the craftsmen in detail.
How the new house would be built, how the bedrooms would be arranged, how large the main hall should be—all of it had to be discussed. Within reasonable limits, the spacious and bright design he wanted could be achieved.
Once everything was agreed upon, construction began. With the rain having just passed and clear weather ahead, the sooner the house was built, the sooner it could dry—and the sooner they could move in.
Luckily, they didn’t have many belongings. After tidying the abandoned house, they could demolish the old one and start fresh.
Shi Wuxiang also picked a few strong men from the village to help—Liu and Gouzi were the first choices, since they had helped repair the roof before.
And so, the house-building began in full swing.
Shi Wuxiang worked at the restaurant during the day, Yuan Zhao ran his stall with Yuan Yuan, leaving Shi Qingyue to oversee the craftsmen. Madam Shi cooked for everyone, temporarily putting aside her embroidery work.
Everyone was exhausted daily, falling asleep the moment they lay down.
The beds in the abandoned house were small, and Shi Wuxiang, overly tired, couldn’t suppress his habit of holding onto something while sleeping. Every morning, he found Yuan Zhao’s head damp with sweat from being held too tightly…
Yuan Zhao woke up dizzy every day, his head soaked in sweat. He figured it was just because they were too cramped. If he felt this uncomfortable, then A Xiang must feel even worse.
Every day, everyone woke up with their own tasks waiting. Yuan Zhao even started eating more than usual, but couldn’t keep up with the energy he burned, so he didn’t gain any weight.
There were a few more light rains that delayed construction, but after a little over a month, the house was finally completed.
The new house was spacious and impressive. Though built like other brick houses in the village, it looked especially fresh and beautiful, drawing crowds of villagers to admire it.
“This house is really grand—how much do you think it cost? Living in a place like this, you’d wake up smiling even in your dreams!”
“Isn’t Zhao-ge running a stall in town? He must be making good money, otherwise how could he afford this? So does that mean the Shi family didn’t do anything?”
“What kind of nonsense is that? Don’t they work in town too? Watch your mouth! Who in their family is idle? I just saw Tian Rong embroidering the other day!”
Of course, none of this escaped their ears. But they had heard worse before—there was no need to dwell on petty remarks. Compared to that, the new house was far more exciting.
After construction, the house needed a few days to dry under the blazing sun before they could move in.
They even checked the almanac and picked an auspicious day to move. The kitchen items were moved in first, symbolizing prosperity.
Yuan Zhao counted carefully—five rooms.
Madam Shi, Shi Qingyue, and Shi Qingran would each have their own. With a new house built, Shi Wuxiang would surely no longer share a room with him.
Yuan Zhao guessed he would share with Yuan Yuan, so he moved their belongings into one room.
“Brother, aren’t you sleeping with Big Brother anymore?” Yuan Yuan asked in surprise. Weren’t they already openly married?
“You don’t want to sleep with me?” Yuan Zhao said shyly. “There are five rooms—A Xiang will probably want one for himself. It’s my fault, I have to squeeze in with you again.”
Yuan Yuan shook his head vigorously. “I like sleeping with you! I want to sleep with you forever!”
Yuan Zhao patted his head. He needed to earn more money—one day, he would build Yuan Yuan a big house, with a huge bed he could roll around on.
“Does your Brother Yue tell stories at night? You can tell me some too,” Yuan Zhao said. He wanted to hear stories, but both he and Shi Wuxiang were always too tired at night.
Yuan Yuan nodded eagerly. “Then I’ll tell you tonight!”
He happily tidied the room. Even without his own space, being able to sleep with his brother made him completely content. No new house could compare.
The new room was much bigger than the old one—far larger than the firewood shed at Yuan Daguang’s home. They carefully placed their clothes into the cabinet one by one. The bedding was old, but once they earned more money, they could replace it.
“I’ll help you bathe tonight—we’ll scrub each other clean. You know, a new bed should be slept in fresh and clean!” Yuan Zhao said with a grin, already imagining how comfortable it would be.
“Okay!” Yuan Yuan beamed, covering his mouth as he giggled happily.
By the time they finished tidying up, it was already evening. Madam Shi began cooking. Although the kitchen was now indoors, a small shed had been built outside—cooking there in summer allowed for better ventilation and comfort.
On the first day in the new house, they naturally had to eat something good. Madam Shi didn’t skimp on oil or meat—she made three meat dishes in one go, steamed a pot of rice, and simmered a pot of pork bone soup. It was unbelievably delicious.
“Auntie, your cooking is amazing!” Yuan Yuan praised without holding back, shoveling rice into his mouth until grains stuck to his face. “I want another bowl!”
“I’ll get you one!” Madam Shi said happily, taking his bowl to refill it.
All her effort was worth it when people enjoyed her food.
After the meal, Yuan Zhao went inside to cut up a watermelon. Lately, they had been eating watermelon every few days—A Xiang said it was cheap, so they should enjoy it while they could.
“So sweet!”
“I can spit the seeds really far—Xiao Ran, learn from me!”
“Second Brother, that’s so gross…”
Normally, Madam Shi would’ve smacked him, but since it was their first day in the new house, she let it slide.
“Go sweep the yard later.”
“Got it, Mom.”
Summer days were long, and by the time dusk settled, Shi Wuxiang returned. Yuan Zhao quickly set the dishes on the table and even brought him two slices of watermelon.
“Everything’s cleaned up?” Shi Wuxiang asked.
“All done. But our bedding is still old—I was thinking of buying some fabric and cotton so Mom can make new quilts. Is that okay?” Yuan Zhao asked carefully.
They had earned the money together, so spending it naturally needed Shi Wuxiang’s approval.
Shi Wuxiang didn’t mind. “I already gave you the money. Spend it however you want.”
“Okay.” Yuan Zhao nodded obediently.
Once night fully fell, Yuan Zhao brought warm water for him to wash his feet. Afterward, he poured it out and went back to the room.
They had bathed earlier, and now, dressed in clean clothes, lying on the wide new bed—it was indescribably comfortable.
Yuan Yuan clung to him like a little shadow, telling stories he had heard. When he got to the exciting parts, he even acted them out on the bed with exaggerated gestures.
“Do you… want to study?” Yuan Zhao asked, then immediately regretted it. Even if Yuan Yuan wanted to, no academy would accept a “ge’er,” not even to teach basic literacy.
“Brother Yue and Sister Ran teach me when they have time,” Yuan Yuan said. “They read the Three Character Classic to me and teach me counting too. I can count lots of coins because of them!”
So he did want to learn.
Yuan Zhao sighed inwardly. Scholars were proud—they wouldn’t teach someone like Yuan Yuan. Who knew when academies would start accepting boys like him or girls?
“Then in the future, I’ll go run the stall alone. You stay home and play with your brothers and sister, and let them teach you to read, okay?” Yuan Zhao suggested.
“You don’t want me to go with you?” Yuan Yuan’s voice trembled. “Counting money is fun… I don’t want to study anymore. I just want to be with you.”
Yuan Zhao couldn’t stand seeing him cry. He quickly pulled him close and soothed him gently. “No, no—I love having you with me. Wherever I go, I’ll take you with me…”
“Are we leaving then? Where are we going?” Yuan Yuan sniffled softly. “Wherever you go, I go too.”
“I know. I wouldn’t leave you behind,” Yuan Zhao said.
They whispered back and forth until Yuan Zhao managed to cheer him up. Just as they were chatting happily, someone knocked on the door. Shi Wuxiang’s voice came from outside.
“Are you two sleeping or not? What are you doing in Yuan Yuan’s room?”
“Ah! We’re going to sleep now!” Yuan Zhao called back hurriedly.
Outside, Shi Wuxiang frowned. “You two? Come out—I need to talk to you.”
“Okay!” Yuan Zhao scrambled up. “You sleep first, Yuan Yuan—I’ll be right back.”
The moment he closed the door, Shi Wuxiang pulled him into his own room. On the wide bed lay two neatly arranged pillows and two thin blankets—clearly prepared in advance.
Shi Wuxiang had indeed been waiting. Lately, after pouring out the water each night, Yuan Zhao would climb into bed and chat with him. If he didn’t respond, Yuan Zhao would sulk.
Tonight, however, he had waited and waited, but Yuan Zhao never came. Going to check, he found him trying to sleep in someone else’s room!
“Get on the bed,” Shi Wuxiang said, gesturing with his chin. Only after Yuan Zhao climbed up did he ask, “What were you doing?”
“I was going to sleep with Yuan Yuan. There are only five rooms—you each get one, and it’s perfect for us to share,” Yuan Zhao said, blinking innocently.
To him, that made perfect sense.
Wasn’t that the whole idea when they built five rooms?
Shi Wuxiang pinched the bridge of his nose. “What do you take me for? Some kind of beast? You paid for this house, and I’d let you two squeeze together? And besides—we’re married. What married couple sleeps separately? Are you trying to cause trouble at home?”
“Then you should’ve said that earlier! If you didn’t explain, of course I’d misunderstand!” Yuan Zhao puffed up his cheeks, sitting cross-legged like he was ready to argue.
“Is your head filled with nothing but wraps? Who goes around thinking about married couples sleeping separately all day?” Shi Wuxiang frowned at him.
If that brain were brought into an anatomy lab, it’d probably be rejected.
“Oh.” Yuan Zhao immediately deflated, switching to a grin. “Then I was wrong. Why are you getting mad?”
Shi Wuxiang glanced at him and poked his forehead. “I thought you poured out the water and got lost somewhere!”
“No way…” Yuan Zhao chuckled foolishly, suddenly feeling that all his earlier worries were ridiculous.
He lay down obediently and patted the empty space beside him. “Come sleep, A Xiang. Don’t you want to talk to me? If not, you’re being naughty.”
“Watch your tone.” Shi Wuxiang poked his forehead again, but still lay down beside him.
Each had their own thin blanket. It was still a bit warm, but nights grew cooler, and sleeping without a cover could lead to catching a chill—which meant no setting up the stall the next day.
Yuan Zhao’s business had been going well. Though he traveled between two locations daily, nothing troublesome had happened—and the one thing bothering him had just been resolved.
Shi Wuxiang patted his shoulder. “Setting up in front of the academy—no trouble?”
“None!” Yuan Zhao answered brightly.
“That’s good. Li Qingwei cares too much about appearances—he wouldn’t cause trouble in public. And Cheng Du and Fu Ying are there to look out for you… still, it’s my fault.”
If he were still at the academy, he could hear about things sooner. But circumstances didn’t allow it.
Yuan Zhao propped himself up and leaned closer, speaking softly, “How is it your fault? You’re so much better than them. That Li whatever—he’s just jealous, that’s why he bullied you. You’re way better than him!”
“And what about you?” Shi Wuxiang asked.
“Me? I’m great too!” Yuan Zhao lifted his chin proudly. “People in the village praise me—they say I’m hardworking, good at making money, and can make a good life!”
Shi Wuxiang feigned surprise. “They actually noticed all that? Impressive.”
Yuan Zhao wrinkled his nose. “I’m the impressive one! Why are you praising them instead of me?”
“Yuan Zhao, even if I tried to pick a fight, I couldn’t come up with something like that. Don’t force me to scold you when I’m in a good mood,” Shi Wuxiang said, closing his eyes.
In the darkness, Yuan Zhao bared his teeth silently.
See? He was being mean again!