Rebirth: Making a Fortune in Ancient Times

When they arrived at the village chief's house, they found only the village chief and his wife at home. The village chief's son, Zhang Dayong, and his wife, Eryong, had driven an oxcart with their children and wives to the market in town.

"The third brother is here?" The village chief, who was smoking a pipe in the yard, greeted Zhang Youtie and his daughter as they entered.

"Uncle, Auntie's home!" Zhang You greeted with a smile.

The village chief's wife, who was sewing shoe soles under the shade of a tree, looked up when she heard the voices and saw Zhang Youtie and the others. She smiled and said, "Third brother is a very busy man now. What brings you here today? Xiaxia, come to Grandma's. It's cool here."

"Hello, Grandpa and Grandma," Xia Yu greeted them sweetly.

"Oh, my good girl, come sit here with Grandma. Your grandpa's smoking, be careful not to choke." The village chief's wife was very pleased to see how well-behaved Xia Yu was. Everyone used to say this third son's daughter was simple-minded, but now she's getting more and more capable! How is she simple-minded at all!

"Grandma, this is some fatty meat that my mom asked me to bring. It was a gift from my uncle in the county town. My mom said it's hot and we can't finish it all, and it would be a waste if it went bad, so she asked me to bring it to you." Xia Yu took out more than two pounds of fatty meat from the small basket and handed it to the village chief's wife.

"Oh, this piece of meat is really good. Your mother, why didn't you cook it at home? Why bring it all over here?" The village chief's wife was delighted to see such a large piece of meat, but she still politely declined as usual.

"There's still some at home, Grandma, hurry up and put it in the salt jar, it'll get salty soon." Xia Yu said, pushing the meat towards the village chief's wife.

"Then I won't stand on ceremony with you. I'll marinate the meat first; it'll be a waste if it spoils." The village chief's wife put her work into the basket, took the meat from Xia Yu's hands, and went to the kitchen. Soon she brought out a small plate of dried clams and said to Xia Yu, "These are dried clams that your aunt made herself; they smell delicious. Sit down and eat; I'll go prepare the meat first."

Xia Yu sat obediently on the small stool, holding the small fan her mother had made for her, fanning herself, occasionally pinching a peacock to eat, waiting for the adults to speak.

Zhang Youtie and the village chief were already talking over there.

"Uncle, I want to dig a few more ponds, and I'd like to ask you to help me find some more people. This time I need thirty people."

"You're planning to dig several ponds, why are you hiring so many people?" the village chief asked, somewhat surprised to hear that he needed thirty people.

“I’ll dig three more, and I also want to build a road from my house to the pond, and then build two more houses.”

"You've got a lot of work to do this time. What are you building a house over by the pond for? Are you really planning to live there permanently? If you ask me, raising a few big dogs would be just as good. Then you'd hear them barking right away." Zhang Youtie came home late yesterday, and only his family and the people at the old house knew about the people he bought yesterday. So the village chief thought he was building the house for himself.

"No, I asked two distant relatives to help look after the pond. That thatched hut won't last in winter, so I thought of building two rooms for them to live in."

"Oh, is that so? Building a house then is fine. But recently, isn't there a high-ranking official in town who wants to build a garden? The wages he's offering aren't low, and many people in the village are watching closely. If you're looking for people at the same price as last time, it might be difficult to find anyone." The village chief was telling the truth. Who doesn't like money? Right now, everyone is free from working in the fields, so they'll definitely go wherever the pay is highest.

"I've thought of that too. I'm planning to charge everyone 28 coins this time, including lunch. What do you think of that price?"

After listening to Zhang Youtie's words, the village chief puffed on his pipe and thought for a while before saying, "If lunch is provided, the price is about the same as in town, and it's right in the village, close to home. It should be easy to find someone."

Then the two discussed the list again. Of course, this list was only a rough draft on their end, and they still needed to discuss it with the other party. After all, they had the town's thirty-copper-coin wage as a guarantee this time; even if they were willing to hire someone, the person might not be willing to come.

Among the thirty people on the list, the ten who dug the pond last time were prominently featured, and then twenty more hardworking men from the village were selected.

Once the list was finalized, the village chief didn't waste any time. After seeing Zhang Youtie and his daughter off, he went to ask everyone. Before they left, the village chief's wife filled Xia Yu's small basket with vegetables from her own garden, including cucumbers, eggplants, and green beans—seasonal produce. Xia Yu didn't refuse; she thanked the village chief's wife and happily accepted the vegetables.

When Zhang Youtie got home, the large vat had already been delivered. When he went to the fishpond, he found that Uncle Ma was already building a stove himself.

"Uncle Ma, why did you start doing this all by yourself? Didn't I say I'd find someone to do these things today?" Zhang Youtie said, looking at the stove that was already taking shape.

"I can do this myself. Isn't it a waste of money to hire someone? It'll be done in a little while. It'll be ready to use after drying for a day." Uncle Ma looked much better today than he did yesterday at the brokerage shop. He was full of energy.

Hearing Zhang Youtie's voice, Aunt Ma groped her way out of the house and said with a smile, "Sir, you can let Old Ma do these small chores. It won't tire him out."

"Oh dear, Aunt Ma, be careful. The road is uneven. Sit down quickly so you don't fall. I'm just a country bumpkin. I feel a bit uncomfortable with you calling me 'Master.' You and Uncle Ma can just call me 'Iron Man.'"

“That won’t do. How can we call you by your formal name? You bought me and Old Ma, so you’re our master. We should call you Master,” Aunt Ma said very seriously.

"Yes, Master. You have given my wife and me a second life. If it weren't for you and your wife, we would have been sold by the brokers to work in the mines smashing stones not long ago," Old Ma, who was mixing mud, said respectfully, bowing to Zhang Youtie.

"Well, then do as you please." Seeing that the two of them insisted, Zhang Youtie let them be. It was just a form of address; he got used to it after hearing it so many times.

He wandered around the wasteland, thinking about how to arrange the ponds and where to build the house. He didn't leave until the sun was high in the sky, reluctantly heading home. He took some of the food Xia Yu had prepared to Uncle and Aunt Ma—noodles with eggplant topping, Xia Yu had served them a generous portion.

Aunt Ma always felt guilty whenever she ate the food Xia Yu cooked. These were chores that she, as a servant, was supposed to do, but not only could she not do any chores, she also had to eat the food cooked by her young mistress. Holding a large bowl of noodles, Aunt Ma felt guilty and could hardly eat. Uncle Ma, of course, understood her feelings and comforted her.

“We’ve just arrived here, and you’re not familiar with the surroundings yet. But as time goes on, there will naturally be work that suits you. Just relax, take good care of yourself, and then do your best to serve our master. Don’t let down our master’s kindness in buying us all together.”

"Yes, I can't let my master down. We've climbed out of the mire, and things will only get better from now on. It's our blessing to have such a good master. I need to take good care of my health." Aunt Ma was a good listener. She had studied with her mistress before and wasn't ignorant of reason. She believed she would be useful someday. If she really couldn't be, she could still cook for Old Ma, otherwise, her master would have to deliver meals to Old Ma separately.

Having figured it out, Aunt Ma's mood brightened, and she began to eat her noodles heartily. She wanted to live well; she might not be of any other use, but at least she could cook for Old Ma, keep him company so he could live a few more years, and serve her master for a few more years.