Mercenary Princess - Chapter 148
"Ten coins a day, or eight coins a day if meals are included..."
"Then please arrange it for me, Auntie. You don't need to look for temporary workers outside. Just use experienced men from our village to build me a brick house..."
"A brick house?!" Aunt Liu exclaimed in disbelief, her eyes wide. In this entire village, besides the wealthy Wang Er's family, who else could afford a brick house? Had Gouwa's mother lost her mind?
"As for wages, that's not a problem." He took out fifty taels of silver from his pocket and stuffed it into Aunt Liu's hand: "I'll pay ten times the wages, one tael of silver per person per day, and there will be extra bonuses for good work. I'm not well-liked in the village, so I'm afraid the villagers won't trust me. This is the deposit. Whoever wants to do it, please let me know and come to you to sign up. Once I have all the materials ready, we'll start work."
Fifty taels...
Holding the silver trembling in her hands, Aunt Liu was stunned and speechless for a long time. Heaven knows, this was the most silver she had ever seen in her life…
Money makes things easy. The bricks and tiles needed for building the house were all transported back by horse-drawn carts in just three days. As for timber, well, it was everywhere! They bought dozens of sharp axes and hired strong men from the village. In just three days, large logs filled the yard.
Because they lived in a relatively remote area to the west, there were only three houses connected together: her, Aunt Liu, and Zhang Daniu, her neighbor to the left. Zhang Daniu was an honest and simple farmer, kind and simple-minded, but also rather dull. His parents had died young, and he had lived in poverty ever since. Because of his poverty, he was already in his mid-twenties and still hadn't found a wife. Aunt Liu said that Zhang Daniu usually took good care of her and her daughter. Aunt Liu subtly suggested that since they had already accumulated quite a bit of material, could they perhaps merge their thatched hut with Zhang Daniu's?
Aunt Liu's concern was that although Da Niu was poor, he was honest and kind, and treated her and her daughter well. If she could help them get together, it would be a great achievement. Widows often face gossip and trouble; she had been through it all, and others might not know the bitterness, but she understood it better than anyone. Therefore, she hoped that Gouwa's mother could find a man and live a good life, thus avoiding the gossip and idle chatter.
Rongyue was thinking that since their three families lived together, it seemed particularly incongruous if Weiwei combined her and Aunt Liu's families into a brick house, leaving Zhang Daniu with only a dilapidated thatched hut. Besides, he had kindly helped Gouwa and the others…
With a wave of his hand, Zhang Daniu's house was listed as one of the houses to be destroyed.
Pulling out Zhang Daniu, who was still confused and bewildered, a crash soon followed, leaving only ruins.
The villagers who came to help all looked at Zhang Daniu, who was still looking bewildered, with a mixture of envy and jealousy, thinking to themselves, why didn't they build their houses next to this woman when they were building them?
The house was built entirely according to Rongyue's design.
When it was completed, everyone could only feel two words: amazement!
Yes, it was admiration, utter admiration!
From the outside, it looks exactly like an ordinary brick house. But once you push open the gate and enter the courtyard, two rows of oleanders bloom brilliantly on both sides. The path leading to the main courtyard is paved with gleaming marble slabs, reflecting the blue sky and white clouds, elegant and grand, fresh and refreshing, a sight to behold. The secluded path is paved with smooth, polished pebbles, winding its way along, shimmering under the sunlight, unique and captivating. At first glance, the entire house seems to be divided into three independent buildings, but upon closer inspection, it doesn't seem so. The three buildings share a courtyard, yet they also seem interconnected. Although the structural principle is puzzling, the overall impression is one of extraordinary grandeur and magnificence!
Tall sycamore trees surround the house; when the wind blows, purple fluff drifts down, creating a scene resembling a rain of sycamore blossoms, shimmering with a purple halo, as if enveloping the entire courtyard in a pale purple world. Peach, pear, apricot, and apple trees, among other common fruit trees, are planted in the courtyard, while chrysanthemums, peonies, calla lilies, canna lilies, and clivias adorn the perimeter. Amidst this vibrant display, a simply crafted yet elegant swing sits, its seat made of sky-blue leather, its armrests constructed from sturdy vines that wind upwards, adorned with purple wisteria blossoms—refined and romantic.
The courtyard exudes elegance, a refined simplicity that reveals a touch of sophistication. Visitors marvel at the tasteful arrangement of trees and flowers, and also admire the owner's refined taste. But upon entering the house, only one word comes to mind—luxury.
I've heard of the decorations of wealthy families before, but to have not only the floors but also the walls of a house covered in white jade is truly unheard of! Bright light streamed in through the latticed windows, reflecting off the white jade and illuminating the entire house, making it clean and refreshing, instantly brightening both the eyes and the mood…
Clutching her dog, Rongyue lay in the spacious and bright bedroom, humming a tuneless little melody, comfortably half-closing her eyes and enjoying the quiet and pleasant summer afternoon.
Her eyes inadvertently caught sight of the little dog nestled soundly in her arms. A thought stirred in Rongyue's heart. She gently turned her head to carefully examine the child, who could be considered her daughter. Long, thick eyelashes, like a row of small fans, softly descended, casting a faint shadow on her fair and delicate face, while also gently veiling her innocent yet mischievous clear eyes. Her forehead was full, which the elders said was a sign of good fortune. Her little nose was pert and upturned, playful and adorable. What Rongyue admired most were her two small, rosy lips, so luscious and tempting, like red cherries just picked from a tree. Especially since the child drooled constantly, her lips were often glistening and moist from being soaked in saliva for twenty hours a day, looking every bit like a delicious cherry.
This adorable child is hers!
A satisfied sigh escaped from the bottom of my heart—it was a feeling of pride, a sense of accomplishment, and a satisfaction that others could not comprehend.
People often say that having a son is all one needs.
But at this moment, she suddenly had the urge to change that sentence to: "For a woman, having a child is enough for her whole life!"
I once heard a story about a woman who, when her husband died, held his body and wailed uncontrollably, her grief heart-wrenching and deeply moving. But after her son died in an accident, she stared blankly at his body, neither crying nor making a sound, as if her soul had been ripped away. She watched the entire burial process numbly and empty, and no one saw her shed a single tear. The very next day after her son's burial, her cold body was found hanged in her home.
When her husband died, she lost her support; but when her son died, she lost her hope for life.
A woman can live without a man, but she absolutely cannot live without a child.
A flood of emotions welled up inside me once again.
She couldn't help but look down at her lovely daughter again. Gazing at her quiet and obedient little face, Rongyue's eyes revealed a tenderness that even she herself was unaware of, a maternal love shining brightly.
Lowering her head, Rongyue gently kissed Gouwa's forehead, softly pulling her closer. Her heart felt warm, like a gentle spring breeze caressing her soul...
Pleasant and comfortable days slip through your fingers like flowing water.
She was resurrected in Yonghe Village in early summer, and now it is late autumn.
The low, round table specially made for Gouwa was piled high with plates and dishes, filled with all sorts of fruits and snacks, such as apples, grapes, peaches, pears, as well as melon seeds and peanuts.
Picking up a big, bright red apple, Rongyue gently waved it in front of Gouwa, whose eyes were shining: "Tell Mommy, what's this called?"
"apple."
Then she picked up a juicy peach: "What about this one?"
"Tao Tao".
"So, what does one apple plus one peach equal?"
Plucking her fair, slender fingers, Gouwa frowned, her crescent-shaped eyebrows furrowing as she mumbled in a foreign language that Rongyue couldn't understand.
Looking at Gouwa, whose brows were furrowed into a tight knot, Rongyue patiently guided him, "Gouwa, think about it, how many are equal to one plus one? Think about the numbers your mother taught you to count last time. After you finished counting, how many were you?"
"One, two, three, four, five..." He counted tirelessly until he reached ten and used up all his fingers before stopping. His eyes sparkled as he looked at Rongyue, looking expectantly for praise.
Encouragingly, Rongyue patted her forehead, where her hair had grown about an inch, picked up a grape, peeled it, removed the seed, and put it into her little mouth: "You remember it quite well, so now answer Mother's question: how many apples in Mother's left hand plus peaches in her right hand equals?"
Her little face scrunched up slightly.
After thinking for a while, he raised his face and pointed at the apple: "One." Then he pointed at the peach: "Two."
Is it one or two?
Looking confused, he still pointed at the apple and shouted "one," and pointed at the peach and shouted "two," just like before.
After calling out for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Rongyue finally lowered her hands in defeat.
Well, it's still a bit of progress compared to yesterday. Kids learn slowly, take it slow, you can't expect to get fat in one bite.