CHAPTER 139: CHAPTER 110: THE NEW YARD (PART 2)

In the Zhang Family’s old courtyard, Mother Zhang started bustling around with her two daughters-in-law from the early hours, preparing several large pots of cornmeal buns, braised pork ribs with potatoes, clear stewed green beans, cabbage stewed with pork fat, plus some pickles.

The hustle and bustle made the time fly by, and before long, it was noon.

Mother Zhang, along with her daughters-in-law, carefully selected and served dishes, placing everything in the temporary thatched house at the new courtyard. As the aroma wafted out, Mr. Zhang hastily invited everyone to eat first, planning to resume work in the afternoon.

In the wooden tray were braised pork ribs with potatoes, yet the meat was scarce, mostly potato chunks. The cabbage stew with pork fat had only a few meat scraps, but everyone praised Mr. Zhang for his generosity and Mother Zhang for her hospitality. Villagers who came to deliver stones, along with the children following them, were also invited by Mr. Zhang to join the meal.

Everyone had been working hard all morning and did not hesitate to devour the food. There weren’t many chairs around, so people squatted or leaned against something, as was usual in the countryside where no one minded not sitting at a table. The few chairs were automatically left for the elders or the master mason.

In no time, the food was all gone, even the meat soup soaked with coarse cornbread was consumed, leaving the wooden buckets and trays empty.

Mr. Zhang noticed and called out to his wife, "The children’s mother, it’s not enough here; quickly, bring more with the daughters-in-law."

The master mason, burping full, waved his hand and shouted, "No need to call. We’re all full; didn’t you see me burping? Don’t listen to him, sister-in-law."

Mother Zhang, hesitating, glanced at her husband. Everything had already been served; where could she possibly come up with more? Seeing that everyone claimed to be full, she breathed a sigh of relief. After all, everyone was helping with their home, and they couldn’t let anyone go hungry, or their reputation would be ruined. Her father-in-law, when alive, always said it was better to save on words and tighten one’s belt rather than mistreat those who help the family.

She had prepared enough for thirty people in the morning, so everyone should be full. It seemed that she would need to prepare more cornbread for tomorrow. If there were leftovers, they could be saved, or people could take some home with them.

These days even cornbread was considered a rarity. Seeing some villagers awkwardly not eating much and slyly stowing the leftover cornbread away in their clothes to bring home for their children was heart-wrenching for Mother Zhang. She quietly averted her eyes, pretending not to notice.

Thinking it over, she realized she would have to double the amount. This was the only time in her life she would build a house, so she shouldn’t be stingy with rations. She preferred to economize on her family’s expenses to make everyone helping out happy. Perhaps there wouldn’t be many people working the fields in the village tomorrow, and more might come to help, starting early in the morning to steam the cornbread; otherwise, they wouldn’t finish by lunchtime.

After resting for a while, Zhang Guoqing bid everyone farewell as he had matters to attend to.

Mr. Zhang and the others, having had their fill, sat down to smoke tobacco, chatting with the master mason as they watched the villagers who had brought stones go home to rest. Just when he was about to suggest that the master mason take a break,

the master mason looked at his apprentices with a smile and said, "How’s everyone feeling? Full? If you’re full, let’s continue working and try to finish both courtyards as soon as possible."

He stood up, nudged his eldest apprentice with a kick, and said, "Get them back to work. Old Zhang’s family is a good and honest family; if you work hard, they’ll know, and you won’t lose out."

The master mason had turned sixty the previous year, remaining in robust health and often going for strolls. With two sons at home, the eldest continued his trade, while the younger joined the Yue Family and ventured into the city. The family was well-off. This time, it was due to his eldest son having work in the city, and out of obligation, he decided to assist.

His craftsmanship earned him admiration throughout ten miles and eight villages. Despite enjoying a life of comfort now, when his parents were alive, his family was so impoverished that even mice avoided it. Ingenious by nature, he ventured to the provincial city while still very young to make a living, supporting his parents and raising his siblings. In the city, he pulled rickshaws, carried goods at docks, worked as a peddler, doing whatever turned a profit.

By chance, he met Grandpa Zhang, still alive back then, and upon conversing, they discovered they hailed from the same hometown. Grandpa Zhang, with a warm heart, suggested it was unwise for such a young person to toil relentlessly without a skill and introduced him to a renowned masonry master in the city.

He never forgot the kindness Grandpa Zhang showed, and the wild game they shared with him; the Old Zhang’s grandchildren all learned some crafts from him. So, when Mr. Zhang mentioned building their courtyard, he agreed without a second thought, not even heeding his wife’s looks or his son’s suggestions to wait till the following year’s construction work; he dealt with that strictly behind the scenes.

Zhang Guoqing, returning to his room, noticed the leftover food in the room, asked her worriedly, "Jiao Jiao, why is there leftover food? Couldn’t you eat it all? Is there anything else you’d like to eat? We can switch it up."

Zhou Jiao slightly frowned, softly saying, "Let’s not bother; I still have plenty of confinement meals. Buying extra would draw attention, so I’ll make do. Didn’t you get enough to eat at lunch? With mom gone, the meals at home will surely return to the usual cornbread; I could even smell it now."

"Barely managed a cornbread, mostly ate vegetables. You save what you have so you can eat it slowly. There’s chicken soup on the stove; I’ll just combine it with the leftover rice and vegetables to eat."

Zhou Jiao didn’t listen to him, already aware of his ample strength and large appetite. Plus, with the heavy work today, one small bowl of rice wouldn’t satisfy him. Zhou Jiao directly took out two large bento boxes, sweet and sour pork, and grilled beef ribs; looking at the meaty dishes, she nodded contentedly.

"Hurry and eat. Aren’t you going out again today? Finish it all. We’re not lacking in food and don’t need to save it for me. Take care of yourself too—I think it’s better to move sooner. If you keep wearing yourself out like this, something might happen; you haven’t been getting enough sleep, waking before dawn, and lying down only at midnight. See if you can offer money and find a reason not to deal with the foundation work. You didn’t endure such hardships before, and now you’ve experienced them all."

Zhang Guoqing looked at her worrying chatter with a smile before reassuring her, "I know, I know, don’t worry. If it gets too tiring, I’ll stop going. I’m still managing right now. Don’t feel sorry for me; we’re doing quite well now. You didn’t see those cornbreads being treated like treasures today; people couldn’t bear to eat them, secretly stashing them to take home. Some came carrying stones, looking jaundiced and haggard, wearing single-layer patched clothes, straw shoes, with children following behind also clad in single layers and straw shoes, shivering. I felt a pang in my heart, wanting to give them my clothes on the spot. But it was just a thought; I didn’t act on it."

Zhou Jiao gently patted him. Some things didn’t need to be said aloud; the current environment was what it was, and their capabilities were limited, risking too much could cause considerable trouble. They were just ordinary people and could remain so.

After Zhang Guoqing had eaten, he held his son, chatted with Zhou Jiao a bit, then took the small note Jiao Jiao had prepared, grabbed two bottles of wine, and bid her farewell before heading out.