CHAPTER 66: 66 FIRED CLAY BODY

Su Yuanyuan set a goal for herself to make fifty bricks a day, so that by the end of the harvest, she could have saved up quite a bit, though it kept raining these past two months.

Zhao Yanli came over to visit Su Yuanyuan and saw her bustling around. She felt quite sympathetic.

"I have no choice but to work. My house is at the foot of the mountain, and if wolves or wild boars come down in winter, I’d be done for with my small frame. I’d rather tire myself out a bit and build the courtyard wall."

"Yuanyuan, are there really wild boars?"

"Yes, they’re fierce."

"I’ll help you."

"No need, no need. If you have time, help me find out who has extra adobe bricks. What I make definitely won’t be enough, and I’ll have to buy more."

"Alright, but even for those who help with the work, they might not have that many adobe bricks. I’ll ask around for you."

"Thanks, Xiao Li."

"Yuanyuan, your winter melons are really pretty. Ours are all green."

Zhao Yanli was talking about the pumpkins, the orange ones looked beautiful among the green vines.

"Not just pretty, they say these are sweet and delicious. After the harvest, I’ll give you two, you can save the seeds and plant them next year. But don’t plant them with winter melons, or they’ll cross-pollinate."

"Got it. And those smallest ones, the size of a bowl, are so cute."

"I’ll give you two of those as well if you like them. Though they are small, they are the best tasting. You’ll know once you try them."

"Sounds good, I’ll help you with work then. Yuanyuan, why are you growing so many winter melons?"

"Of course, it’s for feeding pigs in the future. People love to eat them, and pigs surely will too, saving a lot on feed."

"True, I’ll grow more next year too."

Zhao Yanli stayed for a bit before leaving. Mainly, she felt awkward standing idle while others worked.

She’s also a proactive girl, so she found her friends and told them Su Yuanyuan needed a lot of adobe bricks.

People nowadays don’t mind the hardship as long as they can make money.

Afterwards, Su Yuanyuan needed to make at least fifty to sixty bricks a day, and on good weather days, up to a hundred.

Anyway, she collected soil at night and worked during the day. If there wasn’t enough space, she stored them at the field’s edge outside.

Once they were done, she stacked them behind the house.

She wanted a backyard so she could plant some crops later. With the house blocking the view, it wouldn’t be easily noticed.

That day, Hu Chunhua came over to bring Su Yuanyuan half a watermelon.

"Aunt, why not save it for your family?"

"My brother brought me three watermelons. Go ahead and eat, they’re very sweet."

"Aunt, can my uncle help me later? I want to enclose the yard after the harvest, but I don’t know how many adobe bricks I’ll need."

"Sure, I’ll have him come over in the evening."

"Aunt, do you think I can enclose the uncultivated land too?"

"How many adobe bricks would that take? Besides, you should ask the village head. Even if it’s your uncultivated land, someone might object."

"Okay, I’ll ask in the afternoon. I’ve already prepared five hundred bricks, and by the harvest, I estimate I can prepare two thousand. Whatever’s missing, I’ll buy. I have to enclose the yard to feel safe in winter."

"Alright, let’s go ask now. Tomorrow I’ll have your older sister and the others help you with the bricks."

Su Yuanyuan smiled without saying anything. After all, she’d definitely pay for the bricks they sent her.

Yang Hongwen, after hearing what Su Yuanyuan said, shook his head, "It definitely won’t work. But you can fence in one acre, any more and it won’t be allowable."

Su Yuanyuan felt satisfied with one acre. With good management, she could grow a lot of crops on one acre.

Plus, the backyard had half an acre, almost giving her a two-acre home. How extravagant! Those living in thousand-square-meter villas couldn’t compare with her.

She worked while daydreaming. Anyway, whatever made her happy.

That evening, the couple came over, and Su Yuanyuan talked about enclosing the backyard with an additional acre up front.

Yang Minggang took big steps to roughly measure the area.

The adobe brick mold was standardized. So it was quickly calculated that a height of one meter sixty required five thousand adobe bricks.

Wow, five thousand bricks meant several tons of soil.

That meant she’d have to buy three thousand adobe bricks, costing sixty yuan. If the labor was still fifty cents a day, it would take three days for six people to finish the work, costing almost ten yuan.

Su Yuanyuan did the math and found it acceptable. This way, she wouldn’t worry about unexpected visitors.

Su Yuanyuan worked even more eagerly, thinking the more she did herself, the less she’d spend. Also, she wanted to build a big shed in the courtyard for corn stalks and cobs.

But that was a matter for later.

The village kids, old enough for the task, made adobe bricks for one and two-tenths cents each. Adults were busy with the field work, leaving this to the kids.

Time flew to the end of August, entering the dog days of summer — unbearably hot.

In such muggy weather, Su Yuanyuan felt uncomfortable, though not unbearably so.

After two significant rains, Su Yuanyuan harvested twenty to thirty jin daily. She went to the county carrying a basket just after a rain.

She still needed a big gate and planned on checking for any second-hand options in the county to save on costs.

She went straight to Old Yang’s blacksmith shop. Old Yang no longer went to market; his apprentices took turns going.

Su Yuanyuan gave him a basin of fresh shrimp, "Uncle Yang, I caught this shrimp this morning. You better pickle it quickly, or it’ll spoil by noon."

"Alright, girl, why are you in town?"

"I’m planning to enclose the yard after the harvest and still need a big gate — two meters wide so if I ever have money and buy a small donkey, I can drive the cart into the yard."

"Haha, you’ve thought it through."

"I have nothing but time, so I think things through from every angle."

"Alright, I’ll ask for you. That adobe wall doesn’t need a fancy gate. The Wang family changed their gate this year. I’ll see if it’s still available and get it for you."

"Uncle Yang, you have to pay them."

Old Yang waved his hand, "You help out here. I’ll be back soon."

Old Yang’s errands were never unsuccessful. He returned half an hour later, "Already got it, just give a token of one yuan. He’s not strapped for cash.

Stay for lunch, and when the eldest comes back from the market, he’ll drive you back."

"Sure, thank you, Uncle Yang." Su Yuanyuan felt even more at ease, just waiting for the post-harvest season.