Divorced woman with child travels through time

Chen Wenfang and Uncle Liu Hai ate sunflower seeds for a while.

Fearing that there might be something to discuss later and that the children might be playing around, Chen Wenfang asked Shitou to take the three children to Aunt Liu's house and have them play together.

A short while later, Uncle Youdi arrived at Chen Wenfang's house with three other people.

Chen Wenfang served them tea, and then they sat down to talk about the well.

Uncle Liu Hai asked, "If we have land, what kind of bricks should we use to build a well? And how much does it cost?"

Uncle Di took a sip of tea and said, "Generally, blue bricks are preferred. Hmm, stones are a slightly less desirable option."

Uncle Liu asked, "How many blue bricks do you usually need? We plan to build a well that is about ten meters deep. If we use stones, how much would it cost?"

Uncle Di said, "Using blue bricks will cost more, about fifteen taels. Blue bricks are expensive, costing about twenty coins per piece. Using stone will only cost about ten taels."

Uncle Liu Hai nodded. He looked at Chen Wenfang and said, "Fang'er, what do you think?"

Chen Wenfang said, "If that's the case, let's use blue bricks. They'll be better made and last longer." She added, "If you have blue bricks, Uncle Di, could you help me negotiate how to purchase them? I'll have Uncle Liu Hai pay you together. As for who to hire to transport the bricks, that's up to you, Uncle Di. You can discuss these things with Uncle Liu Hai. I'll have Uncle Liu Hai take charge of the entire construction of this well."

Uncle Youdi and Uncle Liu Hai nodded, and Chen Wenfang said, "Please discuss it with Uncle Liu Hai yourself. If there are no problems, we can start construction tomorrow. Also, where should this well be dug? Uncle Youdi, could you please take a look?"

Everyone went into the courtyard. Uncle Di walked around the courtyard and pointed to an open space on the right, saying, "Let's build it here. This place is higher up, which makes it easier for water to flow out. And what? It's also far from the outhouse and kitchen, so the sewage won't reach it. We can dig a ditch behind it, and the water from washing vegetables can flow directly outside from here. We can also use it to water the vegetables. It's very convenient."

Chen Wenfang and everyone else thought it was very good, as expected of an experienced professional.

Liu Haishu and Uncle Youdi had already reached a pretty good agreement in Wangjiazhuang. Now, they were just negotiating and confirming things in front of Chen Wenfang. Since they were all acquaintances and everyone knew the proper etiquette, Uncle Youdi and the others took their leave.

After Uncle Youdi left, Uncle Liu Hai said to Chen Wenfang, "I have already agreed on the wages with Youdi. It will be based on the current market rate in town. Normally it is seventy wen a day, but now that it is the off-season for farming, it is sixty wen a day."

Dazhuang sat quietly to the side, drinking his tea without saying a word.

Chen Wenfang asked, "Does it include meals?"

Uncle Liu Hai said, "Usually, the employer will provide one meal. If you don't want to cook, you can pay an extra ten coins."

Chen Wenfang said, "Ten coins? That's too little. Who in their right mind can afford to eat their fill?"

Uncle Liu sighed and said, "Who can argue with that? It's true that we're not getting enough to eat, but that's the going rate in town. If you give too much, people will think you're easy to bully."

Chen Wenfang then said, “In that case, I will pay them sixty coins a day. Uncle Youdi is the master, so I will pay him seventy coins. I will cook them lunch. Uncle, you can eat here too. I will make sure you have a good meal. You can’t treat people unfairly when you work for them. If you don’t even feed them properly, how can they do anything for you?”

Uncle Liu Hai clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Sister Chen is very righteous."

Chen Wenfang continued, “Uncle Liu Hai, could you please come with me to town and order 100 jin of coarse rice flour? Also, 50 jin of wheat flour and 50 jin of corn flour. And Uncle Liu Hai, your wages will be the same as Uncle Youdi's, 50 wen a day. As for Dazhuang, it will be the same as theirs, 40 wen. Is that alright?”

Uncle Liu hurriedly said, "That won't do. I don't want forty coins a day. I pay the same to them, twenty-five coins a day. If you do that, I'm not bullying you."

Chen Wenfang laughed and said, "You're my head steward now. I said forty, so it's forty. It's settled, no rushing it. Uncle Liu Hai, hurry up and go to town to order noodles. Have them delivered them first thing tomorrow morning. We need to start work tomorrow. We won't have any noodles to cook."

Uncle Liu Hai smiled and nodded, then said playfully, "Alright, Madam, I'll head over now. I'll be back in time for dinner."

Chen Wenfang laughed and said, "Uncle Liu Hai, take care and be safe."

Uncle Liu then took Dazhuang to town to order rice and flour.

Early the next morning, the owner of the grain store, along with two servants, delivered the more than two hundred catties of rice and flour that Uncle Liu Hai had ordered the day before to Chen Wenfang's house.

Chen Wenfang also got up very early. She went to the vegetable garden and dug up a large basket of radishes and chives. She also soaked some dried tofu that she had sun-dried herself in the summer. She also soaked a piece of cured pork to cook with.

Chen Wenfang was washing radishes in the river when she saw Aunt Liu and her family approaching. "Good morning, Fang'er," Aunt Liu greeted her. "You're up so early!"

Chen Wenfang smiled and said, "Good morning, Aunt Liu. Uncle Liu Hai, please go inside and sit down first. I'll be there in a bit."

Uncle Liu Hai laughed and said, "I know, you can go about your business and don't need to worry about me."

Uncle Liu Hai, along with Da Zhuang and Shi Tou, went into Chen Wenfang's house. Aunt Liu, however, came downstairs to wash radishes with Chen Wenfang. The water was a little cold in winter, but Chen Wenfang's heart was warmed.

"I'm almost done washing, Auntie, you don't need to come anymore," Chen Wenfang said with a smile. Aunt Liu then said, "I'll wash you a second time, then you won't need to wash again. Just boil it. It's too cold for you to be alone in such cold water."

Cheng Wenfang said with emotion, "Aunt Liu is so kind to me."

"Of course I'll be good to you, and you'll be good to me too," Aunt Liu said with a smile, quickly helping to wash the radishes. The two carried the radishes home, where Uncle Di had already arrived. Uncle Liu led the five of them to start digging.

Seeing Chen Wenfang come in, Uncle Liu Hai asked, "You just happened to be here? Chen, could you tell me where would be a good place to dump this soil?"

Chen Wenfang said, "Let's dump it in the wasteland outside. If it's further away, we can fill in some land later." Uncle Liu Hai nodded and led Dazhuang to dump the soil. Meanwhile, a geomancer was leading people in digging. Everyone worked together, dividing the tasks efficiently and methodically.

Chen Wenfang, along with Aunt Liu, started preparing to steam buns in the room. Thinking that everyone had arrived so early and probably hadn't eaten breakfast, Chen Wenfang scooped out a large lump of sourdough from the dough, mixed it with flour and coarse flour, let it rise again, and prepared a small breakfast for everyone. Although lunch was provided, everyone had been working so early and conscientiously, so Chen Wenfang thought it was a good idea to make a snack as a treat.

After the dough had risen for a while, Aunt Liu took it and started kneading it, while Chen Wenfang set up two pots: one to boil water for steaming buns, and the other to boil water over high heat to make tea for everyone later.

While Aunt Liu was kneading the dough, Chen Wenfang poured in some syrup. Because adding sugar makes the steamed buns taste better and sweeter, Chen Wenfang didn't discriminate and ate them all together; she wouldn't treat herself unfairly.

Aunt Liu watched from the side, thinking to herself, "Fang'er is such an honest person. What kind of host would treat a worker like this? Old Liu said that in the past, other hosts would only serve porridge. Where else would they give people such hearty steamed buns? Our Fang'er will surely be rich and prosperous in the future, and have good fortune."