Drive to the Tang Dynasty, where supplies are refreshed daily!

Chapter 48 The house-building plan is launched!

"Okay! I'm not familiar with the people in the village, so I'll have to trouble Jinniang."

"It's no trouble. There are a lot of people who are idle these days, so they're happy to have something to do."

Xiao Ran nodded, "Special carpenters will definitely be paid separately, while others will be paid fifteen coins, plus two meals, and wages will be settled daily."

Xiao Ran explained the terms and conditions so that Zhang Jinhe could easily find someone.

"Okay!" Zhang Jinhe turned around and saw Third Sister holding a cat. "This is a cat? Where did it come from?"

"Mine, I rarely go out before."

Zhang Jinhe leaned closer and said, "This cat is also beautiful and well-behaved."

Zhang Erya came out after soaking the wheat and saw the cat. She couldn't help but go over and pet it.

Fortunately, the cat was calm and not afraid of strangers.

Xiao Ran still needs to go see Wang Shen. He doesn't know anything about building houses and needs to find a professional.

It's not good to go empty-handed when you need help.

Xiao Ran prepared some pastries.

Seeing that Xiao Ran was about to leave, San Niang ran to Xiao Ran's side.

"Third Sister, give the cat to Elder Sister, let's go out."

"it is good!"

Zhang Erya took the cat. "Young master, will it run away?"

"It shouldn't be a problem. You don't need to keep an eye on it; it won't get lost if it stays nearby."

"it is good!"

Taking a dog for a walk is fine, but it's definitely not suitable to take a cat.

The others have gotten used to it now; Xiao Ran takes Xiao Hei with him wherever he goes.

Xiao Ran took San Niang to Wang Shen's house and saw Wang Shen tinkering with a curved plow in the yard.

"Wang, the village head!" Xiao Ran called out.

"Young master, please come inside!" Wang Shen put down what he was holding and led Xiao Ran into the house.

“If the young master isn’t coming, I’ll go over there in a bit.” Wang Shen took out the land deed. “This is the land the imperial court gave to the young master. It’s been confirmed, and the county office has registered it.”

Xiao Ran took the land deed and said, "Thank you for your help, Village Head Wang."

"And this one belongs to the second aunt, the head of the household owns twenty mu."

Zhang Erya now owns 40 mu, and Xiao Ran owns 500 mu.

Zhang Dalang said he could cultivate 200 mu, and the remaining 300 mu would be contracted to Zhang Jinhe for cultivation, with the grain to be split 50/50.

"Thank you, Village Chief Wang."

"No need to be so polite, young master. It seems there's something else besides the land."

Xiao Ran nodded. "Jinniang said that Wang Lizheng is an expert in building houses nearby. He was just thinking of building a house. I wonder if he has time."

"Oh, this? When you have time, I've finished dealing with the tax matters recently. I've submitted everything to the county office today. Tell me where it will be built, young master."

“There is a pond on the east side of the village, and there is a ravine next to it. I want to build it in the ravine.”

"In a mountain valley?"

"Yes, that's about it." Xiao Ran took out an A4 sheet of paper and gave Wang Shen the design he had drawn.

Seeing the design drawings, Wang Shen understood that Xiao Ran had been planning this for a long time and it must have been finalized, so he didn't try to persuade Xiao Ran. "Okay, no problem, it's just past the busy farming season."

"Thank you for your help, Uncle!" Xiao Ran changed his address, trying to get closer to him.

In fact, Wang Shen had wanted to change his address for a long time, but Xiao Ran had a noble title, so Wang Shen was embarrassed to take the initiative to change his address.

Even if Xiao Ran's rank was low, he had still transcended social classes.

“Nephew, you’re too kind. I heard from others that Jinniang and you were harvesting chestnuts, is that right?” Wang Shen asked.

"Correct!"

“If Jinniang and your nephew still need any, they can come to Xinhe Village to take a look. Our chestnuts here are quite good.” Wang Shen also knew that the price was relatively high.

"The daily demand isn't high, and there aren't many left in Kaolao Village either. Jinniang is usually in charge of collecting them. I'll go back and talk to Jinniang and ask her to come here."

"Alright, alright, Jinniang, you don't need to run around. Just come here directly. I'll have someone from the village bring it here."

Wang Shen is the village head, and also the village head of Xinhe Village. Given the opportunity, he will certainly strive to improve the lives of the people of Xinhe Village.

"Alright, then I'll trouble you, Uncle."

It's all about human relationships and social interactions, and it all feels like an exchange of interests.

The village head was in charge of about 100 households. Kaolao Village and Xinhe Village each had just over 30 households, plus the neighboring Qujiangchi Village, which together brought up to about 100 households.

"Uncle, I don't know much about this either. I need your help to coordinate everything. I'll find the people to do the work, but I need you to arrange how to do it. And how should I calculate the wages?"

“Nephew, you’re not an outsider, we’re all neighbors. Before, when your uncle built the house, it cost thirty coins a day. What do you think of that?” Wang Shen was telling the truth; that’s how they always charged before.

"Okay, no problem." Xiao Ran thought to himself that having a skill really does make him earn more money than ordinary people who do heavy physical labor.

After agreeing on the price, Xiao Ran left with San Niang.

If you're building a house, the money from selling roasted chestnuts definitely won't be enough; the cost of materials and labor adds up to a considerable amount.

Back home, Zhang Erya was preparing lunch when Xiao Ran went to check on Xiaomai.

The price of wheat is actually about the same as that of millet.

Theoretically, it should be more expensive. Wheat is a refined grain, and the steamed buns and pancakes made from it taste better, but the staple food in the north is millet.

It seems that the wheat needs to be ground, which is quite troublesome, and there wasn't a single stone mill in the village.

Millet doesn't spoil easily during storage, probably for these reasons.

The cat didn't run far; it stayed in the kitchen while Zhang Erya cooked.

Zhang Dalang was also a man who couldn't stay idle; whenever he had free time, he would go and cut grass.

After lunch, the beef I'd been longing for finally arrived.

Although the burden was a bit heavy, Zhang Dalang and Zhang Erya were both very happy.

Once the cattle were inside the shed, Zhang Dalang immediately brought them the hay.

Along with the oxen, ten curved plows were also delivered.

The craftsmanship of the Ministry of Works was naturally excellent, even more exquisite than that of my third grandfather.

These are definitely not enough for one family; they will be rented to other people in the village later.

These are all reusable production tools.

These cattle can only be used; they cannot be slaughtered, and buying or selling them requires government approval.

The transaction itself is fine, but the government needs to oversee it; it can't just disappear without explanation.

Zhang Jinhe would come around whenever it was almost time to roast chestnuts.

The first thing I noticed was the curved plow and the cow footprints on the ground. "Did the cows come?"

"Sister, you're here. You're in the cowshed," Zhang Erya pointed.

Zhang Jinhe took a look and said, "Not bad, quite good. I can rent some curved plows and oxen, so I don't have to ask my third grandfather to make curved plows anymore."

The straight-shaft plow is inefficient, so Zhang Jinhe will definitely have to switch to a curved-shaft plow.

"You can just take it and use it; there's no need to rent it," Xiao Ran said.

Renting it for a day doesn't actually cost much.

“That won’t do. It’s not just me who’s going to rent it; other villagers will definitely want to rent it too. Just follow the rules, otherwise it’ll be difficult for the young master.” Zhang Jinhe moved closer to the curved plow and picked it up to feel it.

Those who can give money are actually unwilling to owe favors; free things are more valuable than favors.

There's no way to explain this.

While roasting chestnuts, Zhang Jinhe added firewood and said, "I just went to look for people who need to build houses for the young master. Those who have tools at home will bring them. Some village heads should have them. If not, we'll have to borrow them from other places."

The villagers are still grateful to Xiao Ran, and the treatment he gave them was quite good.

So they are still very enthusiastic about building houses.

"Okay! You need to be provided with meals. Second Aunt, go and ask a few people to help you. There are quite a few people, so it's okay to find a couple more."

Zhang Erya can handle the cooking without any problem.

"Okay, I'll go ask in a bit."

“You’re not helping for nothing. You get paid the same as everyone else, fifteen coins a day, plus two meals a day.”

Xiao Ran didn't need to worry about what dishes to cook; Zhang Erya knew. This feeling of being busy made Zhang Erya feel very at ease.

Life is looking promising, and I can feel things getting better and better.

While Xiao Ran and the others were busy, San Niang wouldn't disturb them, instead playing with her dog and cat on the other side.

Now, Third Sister feels that the house is very lively.

Because there are chickens, ducks, geese, and cows.

My favorite animals are, of course, the black cat and the kitten.

The next day, Zhang Jialin arrived at Zhang Erya's house on time as usual.

Xiao Ran loaded the prepared chestnuts onto the oxcart. "Sixth Brother, when you come back, please buy some flatbread to bring back with you."

"Young master, do you want the big one or the small one?" Zhang Jialin asked.

"Aren't they the same size?" Xiao Ran asked back.

"The big ones are two coins each, and the small ones are one coin each!"

Xiao Ran realized that the ones he had eaten earlier that cost one coin each were actually small ones.

"Buy a hundred small ones, and a few big ones too, let me see." Xiao Ran counted out the money and handed it to Zhang Jialin.

"Okay, I remember it!"

"Okay, drive carefully!"

Zhang Erya and Zhang Jinhe didn't know why Xiao Ran bought the flatbread, assuming it was for himself.

Actually, Xiao Ran was the one who did the work.

If we can't raise the wages too high, then let's give them something else!
As dawn broke, Wang Shen and the others gradually arrived.

They all carried tools such as hoes and shovels.

Wang Shen is an official, and his words carry weight, making him the most suitable person to take charge.

There's no need to worry about finding yourself in an awkward situation where you can't get anyone to do anything.

Wang Shen even came in an oxcart because he had too much stuff to carry himself.

Many people have never met Xiao Ran, but that doesn't matter; they all know Xiao Ran.

“Nephew! Go on!” Wang Shen called out.

"Okay!" Xiao Ran handed the design to Wang Shen. This was just a rough draft, not a detailed one.

I need to explain the specifics in more detail.

A group of people walked towards the edge of the pool.

Zhang Erya and Zhang Jinhe also went over to see what was going on.

On the way, Wang Shen also spoke with the others, saying that this time he was in charge and hoped that the villagers would give him some face and cooperate so that Xiao Ran's house could be built as soon as possible.

This is a heads-up; those who don't work hard and try to cheat are definitely not acceptable.

Many people know that there is a cave in Kaolao Village.

It wasn't surprising to see that Xiao Ran had blocked the others.

Xiao Ran shared his ideas with Wang Shen, who then took out surveying tools and began directing the excavation of the foundation.

The cheapest option would definitely be rammed earth walls and a thatched hut, but Xiao Ran wanted something better.

He was, after all, a person with a noble title.

I don't want it to leak during the rainy season or anything like that.

Cement is only used when building the kang (heated brick bed); it is not needed elsewhere.

This thing is actually a bit troublesome; you can't buy it, you have to make it by hand.

Wang Shen has a complete set of measuring tools, which gives people a very professional impression.

This money was well spent.

Xiao Ran counted, and there were twenty people. About two-thirds of the families in the village had come.

There were a few who were not very old, even younger than Zhang Dalang.

The other adults in the family couldn't leave, and they felt bad not coming.

Furthermore, Xiao Ran's offer was indeed quite good; the treatment was excellent.

Zhang Erya hired two aunts to help with cooking. At 15 coins per person, the daily wage was 330 coins. Adding Wang Shen's 30 coins, the total was 360 coins.

We'll need to find some oxcarts to move stones from the surrounding area.

The wages for stonemasons and carpenters were definitely more than 15 coins; the later investment would be even higher.

Xiao Ran is from Kaolao Village, so he doesn't need to spend money to find stones nearby.

But we need to buy timber, and quite a lot of it.

Zhang Jinhe and Zhang Erya didn't stay long before returning home. On the first day, Zhang Jinhe was worried and helped prepare the meals.

They are all-rounders who can work in the fields and also work in the kitchen.

Breakfast is usually eaten during the Chen Shi period, which is between 7 and 9 a.m.

Zhang Jinhe and his group prepared quickly, mainly millet rice, and the other side dishes were just something they could easily make.

There are actually very few options when it comes to corn paired with pickled vegetables or mallow.

Zhang Jinhe pushed the deer cart, with his two aunts supporting him, while Zhang Erya carried bowls and chopsticks on a shoulder pole.

Upon seeing the delivery, Xiao Ran rushed over to help, and as he got closer, he could smell the millet.

Wang Shen called out, "Stop and rest, it's time to eat!"

The deer cart stopped on a relatively flat spot next to the pond, and the others came over to collect bowls and chopsticks.

In this era, most ordinary people would cook millet into porridge and mix it with sunflower vegetables.

Cooking porridge is the mainstream method, which saves food and is easy to operate. As the "king of vegetables", mallow can be cooked with millet to fill the stomach when food is scarce.

This dietary structure was not based on taste preferences, but rather on the desperate measure of prioritizing survival under a small-scale farming economy.

Millet can be steamed into rice, but that's a luxury.

Only families with good financial conditions eat millet rice; many families don't even have steamers or similar appliances, including Zhang Erya's family.

These days I've been cooking millet, the only difference is whether it's a little thin or a little thick.

This time, the dish was also boiled, but without sunflower leaves, and it was quite thick.

Many people were quite satisfied with it.

Nobody wants to drink thin porridge when doing this kind of strenuous work.

Each person gets a bowl, some pickled vegetables and salted radish, and then they find a place to sit down and start eating.

Wang Shen looked at the contents of the bowl, smiled, and muttered to himself, "My nephew is quite honest; it's rather thick!"

Xiao Ran and San Niang also sat on the grass with bowls in their hands.

Wang Shen glanced at Xiao Ran and asked, "Nephew, is that all you've eaten?"

Xiao Ran is quite tall, so he must have a big appetite.

I've lost several pounds since coming to the Tang Dynasty.

"Uncle, I'm not hungry, and I didn't do any heavy lifting." Xiao Ran took a bite of millet rice, having gotten used to it quite a bit over the past few days.

Wang Shen moved a few steps closer to Xiao Ran.

“Before the tax exemption, everyone was grateful for the young master's kindness, and they all worked very hard.” Wang Shen could naturally tell.

"I take on this kind of job a few times a year, but this is the first time I've encountered someone working this hard!"

“Nephew, you are quite generous.”

"The villagers have put in a lot of effort, so I can't let them down." Xiao Ran didn't serve much, just a small half bowl, and found that he still couldn't finish it.

"My dear nephew, you are very thoughtful!"

Xiao Ran looked at Zhang Dalang, who was closest to him, and said, "Dalang, I can't finish this. Can you eat some for me?"

Xiao Ran felt guilty for wasting even a single grain of food here.

"Alright!" Zhang Dalang agreed without hesitation.

Xiao Ran ate only a few bites, then poured the rest of the food to Zhang Dalang.

(End of this chapter)