A peasant girl travels through time with a hospital, rising to become an empress.

When Grandma Zhao heard from her husband that Nie Qianqian had lost contact with the Nie family, she admired the mother and daughter from the bottom of her heart. It wasn't easy for the two women to make a living. She quickly waved her hand and said, "Qianqian, you just separated from the Nie family and are making a living on your own. You should take this back quickly. Grandma can't accept it."

Liu Lizheng then said, "Qianqian, listen to your grandma, take the things back."

Nie Qianqian had no intention of taking the things back after she brought them over. She took Old Madam Zhao's arm and said with a smile, "Grandma Zhao, if I take these things back, my mother will scold me to death. This time, thanks to Grandpa Village Head's suggestion to go to the county government, otherwise I don't know how long it would have dragged on. This is my and my mother's token of our appreciation, so please accept it. Also, I have something else to ask Grandpa Village Head."

Nie Qianqian is beautiful and speaks sweetly; anyone who sees her like this will feel happy.

Liu Lizheng stared at Nie Qianqian in front of him, and then thought of the Nie Qianqian who was shouting and fighting in the old house that day with a cold look in her eyes. He was a little confused. Which one was the real her?

Nie Qianqian put the things on the table and said, "Grandpa Village Head, I really have something I'd like to ask you for help with today."

Upon hearing this, the village head's attention immediately shifted. "If you need any help from the old man, just tell me."

Nie Qianqian: "Now that my mother has divorced the Nie family, we need a place to live permanently. You saw the condition of that old house the other day. It can barely keep out the wind for a few days. After a while, when the weather gets cold, it will be uninhabitable. We want to build a new house before late autumn, but none of the three of us know anything about this. We would like to ask Grandpa Village Head for some guidance. Where can we find workers to build the house? How long will the construction take? How much money will it cost?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Lizheng patted his chest and said, "Qianqian, you've come to the right person. Grandpa Lizheng is very experienced in this area. You don't need to go out to find workers. There are many men in the village who are good at building houses. I'll help you choose about 10 people. As for the construction period, if 10 people work hard, it should take about 20 days. But it depends on how big you want to build."

Nie Qianqian pondered for a moment, "My family is small, so we don't need many rooms. I'm thinking of four rooms in the main house, four rooms on the east and west sides, plus a kitchen and a storage room, that should be enough."

Liu Lizheng pressed further, "Do you want to build an adobe house or..."

Nie Qianqian: "Now that the new house is finished, it's for long-term living. I want to build a brick and tile house, which is more sturdy and durable."

When Grandma Zhao heard that Nie Qianqian wanted to build a large tiled house, she was shocked. Tiled houses are not cheap. Could they afford it?

Liu Li was mentally estimating the cost of building his house and Nie Qianqian's requirements for the new house. "Qianqian, I estimate that the house you want to build will cost about thirty taels of silver."

Nie Qianqian sighed inwardly, thinking how cheap it was to build a house in the village. It was basically just the cost of materials and labor. A house of the same size in the county would cost more than a hundred taels of silver, let alone in the provincial capital or the capital.

Nie Qianqian could afford thirty taels of silver, but she understood the principle of not flaunting her wealth, so she appeared somewhat hesitant.

Nie Qianqian looked troubled. "I didn't expect it would require so much money..."

She hesitated for a moment before speaking, “But once this house is built, it’s for a lifetime, so I still want to build a more comfortable one. To tell you the truth, Grandpa Village Head, the County Magistrate introduced me to work as a medicine boy at Jishetang in town. I get paid every month, and I can try to borrow some money from the manager of Jishetang to get an advance on my future wages.”

It's unrealistic for a young apprentice to ask the curator for money, but if it's someone introduced by the magistrate, and also someone who helped the magistrate, then it's somewhat possible.

Liu Lizheng stroked his beard, thinking to himself, "This Nie Qianqian is truly blessed. She's managed to establish a relationship with the county magistrate and even borrow so much money."

Alas, they were just young and impetuous. They had just moved out and were eager to change their ways and prove themselves. They probably didn't know how hard it was to make money in this world. Thirty taels of silver, for the three of them, who knows when they would be able to pay it back.

However, this was not something he needed to worry about.

Liu Lizheng: "Qianqian, building a house is a big deal. You and your mother must have discussed it. It's not a bad idea to build a smaller house first."

Nie Qianqian nodded, "Thank you for your guidance, Grandpa Village Head. I will discuss it with my mother and husband when I get back."

Liu Lizheng suddenly remembered something and slapped his thigh, saying, "After talking about building houses for so long, I just remembered, Qianqian, your uncle is a master at building houses. In the past few years, he helped many people in the village build houses."

uncle?

Nie Qianqian then remembered her uncle. Liu Yan's parents passed away early, and Liu Yan basically grew up relying on this older brother. Liu's uncle was three years older than Liu Yan and his name was Liu Xiong.

The Liu siblings lived in poverty from a young age. Several years after Liu Yan got married, Liu Xiong finally saved enough money to marry Huang Zhenzhu from the next village. They had two sons: the eldest son, Liu Daniu, was a year younger than Qianqian, and the second son, Liu Tiedan, was almost six years old.

Thinking of her uncle's family, Nie Qianqian felt a warmth in her heart. They were the only people who had been kind to Liu Yan and the original owner of this body. Previously, Liu Xiong, knowing that Liu Yan was being bullied after marrying into the Nie family, had often confronted Nie Erzhuang, even resorting to violence. But his actions only resulted in Nie Erzhuang intensifying the beatings. So Liu Xiong changed his methods, secretly sending Liu Yan money and food from time to time. Each time was small, but it was one of the few things that brought comfort to the mother and daughter during that dark period.

Liu Lizheng: "I remember Liu Xiong went to Huangjia Village with Zhenzhu for a funeral. Judging by the days, he should be back by now."

Nie Qianqian had heard Liu Yan mention this matter before. If Liu Xiong returned, she wouldn't have to worry too much about building the house.

Nie Qianqian: "Grandpa Village Head, I'll be going now. I need to go back and discuss the house building with my mother and husband. Once we've decided on it, I'll have to trouble you to help with the arrangements."

The village head and his wife wanted Qianqian to take the things back, but once something is given away, there's no reason to take it back. After saying goodbye, Nie Qianqian ran away like a rabbit.

Mrs. Zhao watched Nie Qianqian's retreating figure and clicked her tongue, saying, "This girl from the Nie family is really different. She used to look so pretty, but her personality was terrible. She was so timid and hesitant, and she couldn't even speak properly when talking to people. But it hasn't been long since then, and she's become so bright and clever."

Liu Lizheng lit the half-lit pipe he had just started smoking, took a deep drag, released a wisp of smoke, and agreed, "He's a lucky man."

Grandma Zhao picked up the things Qianqian had given her, and then remembered how Qianqian had lovingly given her eldest grandson candy. She instructed him, "It's not easy for these two to make a living. The only man in the family is disabled. Qianqian is so sensible and remembers you well. You should help them more. Humph, unlike the Nie family. That old lady Nie is a shrew. Ever since Wenye passed the imperial examination, they've been looking down on everyone."

Liu Lizheng snorted coldly. Especially after the last divorce, that old lady Nie looked at him with disdain and dislike, which was very annoying.

That's how relationships between people work. One person greets you with a smile and courtesy, while the other always has a cold face and an arrogant attitude. Over time, this distinction between close and distant relationships becomes apparent.