Baozi Xishi's Struggle

Chapter 402: Thick Mud-Walled Thatched House by the Canal

Yu Tao also said, "And me, I can also help with thread arrangement and stitching."

Shen Yu couldn't persuade them, so he had to let them do what they wanted.

Everyone also discussed where to park the firewood and how to sell it.

Li was not worried about this: "Firewood is a hot commodity in winter. It is not difficult to sell only 20 bundles a day."

"I'll go around to a few ladies' houses in the next two days and ask them if they want it."

"Let them ask relatives, friends and neighbors around. Maybe the firewood will be bought by the ladies before it is even brought here."

Zheng Sanniang also said, "Yesterday when I went to pick up Xiao Zhuzi, my sister's mother-in-law was still complaining that the price of hardwood for burning firewood has increased by two cents, and you can't buy good ones if you don't order them in advance."

"If the firewood the gentlemen cut was easy to burn and cheap, the ladies around here would buy it all."

Shen Yu said helplessly: "This is something I was forced to do."

"The county magistrate has appointed me to prepare the meals, but the food funds allocated are so small."

"If we let them eat only 50 cents, and the food must be clean and fresh, the servants will definitely not be able to eat enough. I had no choice but to think of this solution, but I don't know if it will work."

Zhou Dalang had been listening nearby. When he first heard the ladies discussing making cotton-padded robes, he knew he could not help much.

When Shen Yu mentioned the firewood sales, he hurriedly said, "Don't worry, young lady. The firewood will be delivered when the time comes. If you don't have time, I can help deliver it."

"Our restaurant's cart is small and light. Xiaobai is full every day, so it's not satisfying to just go to the academy to deliver food."

"Let it go around and fetch some firewood. It's a good opportunity for it to have some fun."

Shen Yu thought that this was a good idea. The mule cart that could carry twenty bundles of firewood would definitely not be small.

If someone only needs one or two loads of firewood, and the alley where they live is narrow, the mule cart will definitely not be able to fit in. It is unlike their own small cart, which is agile and convenient and can be moved in and out freely.

Shen Yu couldn't help but laugh at himself: "I'll be in charge of the meals, and I'll only get one or two taels of silver a month, and I'll have to make you all busy with the work."

Li comforted her, "It's okay, it's okay. There's still one or two taels of silver left."

"It's our turn to accept the task. It's good enough that we don't have to pay any more money."

"Besides, if the canal is well maintained, the people in our city will feel at ease living there."

"If you go and prepare the meals, the gentlemen will surely eat better, and they will remember the benefits of our restaurant."

Everyone felt that Li was right and said that this matter could not be measured by money.

For example, in the case of Zhou Dalang's family, since he was an adult male, when it was his family's turn to serve in the army, he had to put down what he was doing and obey the orders of the government.

If you don't go, you can only pay three to five times the amount of silver as a replacement.

Shen Yu then understood that ordinary people were very obedient to the idea of ​​military service, providing people and money when asked for.

It is extremely rare for someone like me to be able to get paid and still make various demands.

They come, the security.

Since you are making a living here, you must live according to the rules here.

Shen Yu comforted himself before he and everyone else started to clean up the tables and chairs, closed the shop, and went to the backyard to prepare ingredients for tomorrow's meal.

On the afternoon of the next day, Qi Xi drove over with the bed board and bedding.

When Yucheng and Dundun saw the things after coming back from school in the afternoon, they screamed with joy and followed Qixi to help clean up the place.

Li heard the three boys' unique loud and high-pitched laughter filling the entire yard.

He shook his head and rubbed his ears, and said half lovingly and half helplessly: "As soon as Qixi came here, the roof of this house was almost blown off."

"I don't know how these three brats can have so much to say."

Qixi packed up and was ready to leave.

Li also asked him to take good care of Shen Yu while at the canal construction site.

He also gave him a bamboo basket of freshly fried scallion and sesame crispy strips and asked him to take it to Lu Lang as a snack before letting him leave.

The next day was the day before the construction of the canal officially started. Shen Yu wore the thick cotton hat and thick gloves that Li and her friends had just made, and a long coat. After breakfast early in the morning, he hired a car to rush to the county government office at daybreak.

When they arrived at the county government office, Lu Lang and the others were almost ready. Shen Yu waited for a while before taking a carriage with Lu Lang and the others to the canal.

The section of the canal that flows outside Anping County is not very long, but because it is located at the big bend where the canal turns, it is prone to silt accumulation.

It is also more vulnerable to water impact during summer floods, so it needs to be repaired every winter.

This time the repair still starts two miles north from the South Gate.

This section of the canal is far away from the city gate and sparsely populated, so Shen Yu has never been there.

After getting off the car, he followed Lu Lang and Master Qian and walked towards the canal.

You can see stones, sand, and sandbags wrapped in burlap that have been transported here and piled up. The most eye-catching thing is a mud-walled thatched house that has obviously just been built.

Lu Lang led everyone to go closer and take a look.

The house is not small, with a thick thatched roof. It has a door and windows on both sides.

Pushing the door open, there were two huge stoves in the new kitchen, as well as tables, cutting boards, water tanks, ceramic basins, wooden barrels and other commonly used kitchen utensils.

Because it is next to the canal, there is no shelter and the wind is strong.

The house had a wooden frame and I didn't know if there were bricks inside the walls, but the newly applied mud mixed with straw clippings on the outside was almost dry.

The smooth mud surface of the stove was still a little damp because it was in the room, but after another day, when it was officially used, it would probably be completely dry and would not affect its use.

Shen Yu was very surprised when he saw it.

She originally thought that it would be good enough to build her a shack that could protect her from wind and snow, but unexpectedly, they built her a house with thick mud walls.

Shen Yu hurriedly thanked Lu Lang and Master Qian.

Master Qian said cheerfully, "The Fourth Young Master asked Master Zhu to bring his craftsmen to build this overnight."

"Now Miss Shen is not afraid of getting cold in the cold weather."

Shen Yu was very grateful, but also a little apologetically said: "This house is built so solidly, but it is only used to cook meals for a period of time, and then it is abandoned. It's a pity."

Master Qian smiled and said, "Miss, you don't know that this canal needs to be repaired in winter, there are peach blossoms in spring, and there are a lot of rains in summer, so there must be people guarding the levee all the time."

"The water is calmest in autumn, but then we have to prepare the flower boats for the Longevity Festival."

"It's not a waste to build this house."

"In addition to being used as a kitchen during winter repairs, during rainy seasons and festivals, when people come over, they can take shelter from the rain and store some materials. It won't be left unused."